A Demon's Kiss
by NinjaButterfly
Summary: Eight years seems like a long time, but those years can be gone in an instant, wasted away with nothing to show for it. That is how long it's been since Sasuke has last seen Naruto after the blond gave him one last promise to allow their bond to finally fade away. And that was that...until Sasuke decides it's time to come home, if only for his execution. *boyXboy* *warnings inside*
1. Chapter 1

Eight years seems like a long time, but those years can be gone in an instant, wasted away in the blink of an eye. Regrets pile up just like dirt being thrown shovel-full at a time onto your grave as you bury yourself alive. What was the point of it all if you had nothing to show for it? What was the point...when all you had left to offer was the satisfaction of your own death?

 **Rated M** for language, violence, self-harm, yaoi (boy x boy), sexual themes/possible lemon...

*If you have an issue with yaoi or other LGBT, then do not read the story...simple as that. I will not tolerate incompetence and stupidity on the issue. I really do not care about your close-minded opinions nor does anyone else that is here to enjoy this story and others stories on the site of the same nature.

 **Disclaimer:** I, unfortunately, do not own 'Naruto' as it is owned by the one and only Masashi Kishimoto...

I would like to add that this is a "revised" story, if you may call it that. After going on hiatus with this story for two years, I came back to it and had a few new ideas in store for it, so most of the chapters are a completely different story than I had originally planned (to be honest, I didn't know where the original was heading in the first place.) I hope the story does not disappoint. For the few fans of the previous one, I hope you accept my apologies for bailing on this fic, but I'm back in action! The reasons of my absence was because I moved to California for awhile to go through school for culinary arts and I didn't have internet up there, so it was near impossible to post anything (excuses! :'( ) So for those who believe I may abandon this fic again and never finish it...just know I am not going back to California again, at least in the foreseeable future lol. And considering the city is sitting in the middle of a lake now due to all the flooding, I think that is safe to say...

The first chapter is more like a prologue and pretty much follows the show in the episode where Sasuke and Naruto confront one another for the first time after the time skip. This is the only chapter like this as I wanted to give more insight on Sasuke's thoughts that were going through his head at the time. So if it all sounds eerily familiar...it's because it is :P

Chapter One

It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the darkness of the long corridor as I stepped out of the bright sunlight. The only light that was emitted in the hallways was given off by two candles that aligned either side of the walls every twenty feet or so. Even though it was enough light to see everything in the room, it was still too dark for my liking. Combined with the dankness and chill permeating the underground lair only made the endless hallways of Orochimaru's hideout even more depressing and disorienting, especially while walking them alone. Sometimes it felt as if the walls were closing in on me and the feeling was hard to shake, but these discomforts weren't going to stop me from completing my mission. Not this time...

After running and losing count of how many hallways and dead ends I had come across, I came to one door in particular that spiked my attention the most. My breath caught in my throat as I slowly approached the door and cautiously opened it to reveal a small room that was only lit by one candle. The room was quite barren aside from a small table in one corner that held a small heap of clothes on it and a bed sitting on the opposite side of the room where someone was lying. I couldn't see their face because they had their back to me, but I didn't have to see it to know who it was - the person that had brought me here in the first place. Slowly walking up to them, I carefully snatched away the barrier of blankets to unveil the blond who had haunted my dreams every night, the very reason that had brought me here today.

My veins iced over and a prickling chill made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as I stared down at him. The soft candlelight cast dancing shadows on his form as I stood there, mesmerized at the sight...why was this Naruto? Why was the shadow of my past lying here before me...and why was he the one in this position instead of myself?

My heart jumped into my throat as he began to stir and I couldn't do anything but watch as he slowly sat up, his back still towards me. For a long while, we both remained frozen in place, not daring to move. The room was so silent you could almost hear the echo of the soft flickering of the candle's flame.

"So...you found me." He turned his head just enough to look at me from the corner of his eye and the simple look shot icicles down my spine as I stared at the cold, hateful glint in his eye.

I felt suspended in time and all speech evaded me considering I didn't quite understand what was going on, but after a moment words flowed out of my mouth as if they had been rehearsed dozens of times before. "I shouldn't have had to find you," I found myself saying, feeling as if it wasn't really me who was speaking. I watched as Naruto slowly stood up and turned towards me to finally reveal his face which didn't seem to have aged a day since the last time I saw him three years prior.

The candlelight only lit up half his features, the other half shrouded in the blackest of shadows. A small smirk lit up his features which continued to play on his lips even as he spoke, "the same could have been said about you, Sasuke."

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I slowly approached him, stopping just inside the threshold of the door. "You should come back with me. Everyone wants you to come home. I want you to come home...I need you. Not only as a friend, but as a brother."

He laughed with no humor and stared me dead in the eye, a dangerous glint hidden within the depths of his cerulean blue orbs. "I am home." I had never been lost at sea, but I could imagine this was how a ship's crew felt during a massive storm while being helplessly thrashed about within the deadly and merciless grip of the waves. I could practically feel myself drowning the longer I stared into Naruto's cold gaze and I could do nothing to tear my eyes away.

Suddenly, the world unleashed a stream of bright, blue light in my vision, momentarily blinding me from the intensity of the dancing blue streaks. My eyes widened as I felt the searing pain cut through my abdomen and I stayed glued to the spot as my vision begun to return. When I looked down, I saw the blue tendrils of light flickering between Naruto's fingertips just before he shoved his hand deeper into my stomach-

Then I woke up.

I slowly opened my eyes and stared at the decaying ceiling of my quarters, feeling more calm about the nightmare than I should have. This had become such a common occurrence that it hardly had an effect on me anymore. Shadows cast from the candlelight danced on the uneven walls in sporadic patterns as a chilling breeze swept through the room from the door that was slightly ajar, but the eeriness of it had long ago lost its power against me as well. Ever since I left Konoha, these dreams had haunted me in my sleep and in the waking day, but I had to do my best to block them out. Even when I was younger, after my brother had killed everyone in my clan, I was plagued by nightmares but none of them even compared to some of the dreams I had today. They truly bothered me in the beginning, even frightened me to the point where I didn't want to leave my quarters at times, but I eventually found a way to block them out to the best of my capabilities. Despite being able to control the effects, though, it didn't mean I was able to block out the unsettling memories and nostalgia that they brought with them. That was the one thing I learned long ago that I had no hopes of blocking out, so I had no choice to replay a life that I no longer had.

I closed my eyes once more and turned on my side, laying there in silence for a while, waiting for the darkness to take me into its shadows once more. All I seemed to have now were the shadows to accompany me, both in reality and unconsciousness. Despite which world I was in, I always had the memories dancing around in the back of my mind, making sure they kept themselves close, but I didn't mind having them, to be honest. At least they provided me with the realization that I was happy once upon a time and that I wasn't always a cold-hearted, backstabbing bastard. My past was the only thing that kept me going day to day and it gave me a reason to hope that maybe one day I could return to that state of content I used to have. It probably wouldn't ever be more than daydreaming, though.

As I felt the grasp of sleep beginning to consume me, the door slowly creaked open a bit more and sent a blast of cold air into the room, almost making the candle blow out by its intensity. Without looking I knew someone had entered the room, but waited a moment more before turning around to see who it was. I knew it wasn't Orochimaru because he was too confident in himself to hide his chakra signature and Kabuto wouldn't have hesitated to announce his prescence. I activated my Sharingan and waited to see what the intruder did next.

"Alright, who's there?" I asked calmly as something that felt like snakes slithered onto my back and side. I was beginning to think it was one of Orochimaru's lackeys that used snakes as well, but I didn't recognize the hum of chakra.

"So...you do know I'm here," a voice said that I, too, didn't recognize. "Well regardless, I still have the advantage."

"What do you want?"

The door creaked open the rest of the way with the soft footfalls of the intruder right behind it. "Well, if you mean Lord Danzou, his objective is to get rid of you. But me, I have come here to take you back to the Leaf." He paused a moment before continuing. "When I first started out, my only intentions were to locate you and take you down. You share something with him...a bond of friendship that Naruto is desperately holding onto...and I'm here to protect it!"

Another silence ensued as I let that sink in. This stranger had come in here to tell me this? A person I didn't know and could care less about was telling me about the bond I used to share with Naruto. 'Who the hell does this guy think he is?' I kept my opinions to myself. "...a bond? Is that really your excuse for waking me up?"

As I was about to attack, he seemed to calculate my intentions as the snakes wrapped around me in a vice grip, but it was no use. Such weak jutsu had no effect on me as I released a burst of chakra, creating a huge explosion that destroyed a large portion of the hideout, creating a huge crater in the ground. I did not know who this guy was other than he was apparently on a mission with Naruto to capture me but the only question on my mind was: where was Naruto, who should have been saying all of this to me? This guy may have been my replacement on the team, but he must have been playing the entire squad if he was truly working for Danzo. Were they aware that he was part of Root, which was notoriously known for the disposal of high-value targets and targets under suspicion?

'Does this mean they willingly set out on a mission to kill me?' This thought was a little more than unnerving as I felt I had been suckerpunched with the knocked out of me, but I remained stoic as I stared at the unharmed Root member who seemed to be staring right through me with eyes as devoid of emotion as my own. I tried telling myself I didn't care about their decision, but it was hard to shake the thought they may have very well come out here to kill me. If it came down to a death match between Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi-sensei...could I really bring myself to kill them? Would revenge really be worth it if there was nothing left to return to?

I jumped to the top of the canyon I had created and looked down into the crater, continuing to stare at the guy while trying to figure him out. He claimed to be here to 'protect' a bond instead of destroying it, but I didn't trust for one second anything a member of Root had to say. 'This guy isn't worth my time or energy. Where is Naruto?'

It had been over two years since I had last saw him and I honestly didn't know what to expect. We used to get stronger together before I left, so would he be weaker then I was? Has he grown as I have? Could he possibly be stronger? Or was he still the same weakling as when I had left? So many questions that begged to be answered and to be honest I was a little frightened to find out. After all, a lot can change in three years...I was a prime example of that fact.

The Root member didn't attempt attacking or continue with our previous conversation much to my relief. That meant he was waiting for backup and I was for one eager for it to arrive. After a minute had passed, my suspicions were proven correct as Sakura came running out of one of the hallways and grabbed Sai's shirt collar tightly, beginning to yell at him angrily. Not the response I had expected but it wasn't surprising, either. Even two years later, it appeared Sakura hadn't changed at all which I didn't know was a good thing or not.

"Sakura..." I said in a casual voice, a little impatient for her to notice me. Like I expected, she tensed and quickly looked up at me, shock plastered on her features. Naruto came barreling out of another hallway before she had a chance to speak and wasted no time looking right at me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end at the intensity of his stare.

When our eyes met, old memories began to flood my thoughts once more of all the things that had ever happened between us...the good and the bad, the ups and the downs, the most intense of moments and the laid back ones where Naruto always annoyed me to no end, but I secretly longed to steal a moment like that with him again; with both of them. There was no denying Naruto and I shared one of the closest bonds...but I couldn't say for sure if it was still intact. The longer I stared down at him, the more I realized he wasn't the little boy I used to know and the differences caught me by surprise. He looked more mature and had a serious expression permanently etched into his features now. Physically, he had also grown quite a bit as he was almost as tall as me now and had definitely packed on more muscle than I had. The longer I stared at him and took in the changes, I realized that we were no longer the little boys playing war games in our backyard anymore. We both had a cause we were fighting for that brought us here today.

"Well, Naruto..." I said, breaking the tense silence. "You came too. I assume Kakashi is here?"

"Unfortunately Kakashi couldn't make it, so I'm here in his place," another guy said who slowly walked out of the hallway Naruto had come out of and walked over to the others. "Team Kakashi has come to escort you back to the Leaf village."

"Team Kakashi..." I slowly looked over all their faces and studied each one carefully. It didn't matter at this point if I wanted to go back or not, I knew I couldn't. I hated to sound so selfish, but my first priority was to kill Itachi and I couldn't possibly do that if I showed any old connections with them. Even if I was strong enough to take on Itachi now, I would never be able to find him because I would always be stuck in the village, awaiting missions that seldom come. If I wasn't thrown into prison, that is. The only way to track down Itachi was to use the connections I had with Orochimaru and his lackey's; at least he had been a member of Akatsuki, once upon a time, and his number one was a genius when it came to collecting information on individuals; the village wouldn't even have half the connections that I had here.

I watched in moot fascination as the Root member took out his tanto and pointed it towards me, not taking his eye from my own.

"I knew it!" Sakura yelled, now all eyes on Sai. "Sai, don't!" I barely comprehended her words as I stared at the threat before me. This one, I didn't mind killing...I actually might have enjoyed it.

"So... this is my replacement?" I asked, keeping a close eye on everyone, especially the captain. I didn't know what type of power he possessed, so I couldn't rule him out as a threat even from this distance. "I thought the team already had a weakling. He keeps saying something about protecting the bond between Naruto and me."

Sakura looked at Sai. "Sai, I thought your mission was to try assas-"

"It's true," Sai cut her off, not even sparing her a glance. "I was on a classified mission to find and eliminate Sasuke, but I'm through following orders. For now on, I think for myself." He then turned to Naruto, staring at him, deadpan. "Naruto...I think you can help me remember. Bring back those old memories that I thought were lost - things that were once important to me." So this Sai seemed to be getting quite acquainted with Naruto, I see. He then turned to stare at me once more with an intensity I had yet to see on Sai's face. He seemed so...lifeless on the outside, almost like me. "I don't know much about you, Sasuke, but I know Sakura and Naruto would be willing to sacrifice just about everything for you. They don't want to lose their connection with you. They would give anything to protect those bonds! I still may not be able to understand it that clearly, but you Sasuke, you must be able to understand it!"

I closed my eyes for a long time, trying to control my rising anger. I really didn't like this guy, speaking as if he knew what he was talking about. "You are right. I did understand...and that's why I severed them!" When I opened my eyes, I saw the shocked expressions of everyone staring at me, but the words had to be said. To show any old affection towards them would just fuel their obsession to bring me back and I couldn't afford that right now. The only way I knew how to make this work was to make it clear that I severed every thread that bound us together. It couldn't be helped and even though I hated myself for having to say that in order for me to achieve my goal, then so be it.

Another silence ensued, which lasted for a long time. My words had stung them as much as it did to myself, but they didn't understand how much pain this put on me as well. There was no way I could leave and go back to the village, not when I have already come this far. Even if I had chosen to go back, there wasn't a sure fate for any of us if we had to fight Orochimaru and Kabuto. And if we happened to get pass them, what future could I say I would have upon my arrival in the village? Comfortable accommodations in a prison cell as I awaited my appointment with the executioner?

I quickly jumped down from my perch and embraced Naruto with one arm, my other hand on my hip. I stood frozen, thinking of my next words carefully.

"While you crave for the brotherhood you think we still share, I crave something more that you cannot possibly understand. Why do you keep dreaming of something you cannot have?"

"Because I remember what we used to share. You're the first person who I could call a friend and I can't let that friendship waste away." His voice was soft, but confident. He didn't even attempt moving out of my embrace. There was so much faith he was putting in me right now, it made my chest hurt. _**'This has to be done...'**_

"Can you not see our friendship was severed when I walked away? I've moved on, so you should too." I unsheathed my sword and held it out before bringing it down, trying to stab Naruto with it, but it was quickly stopped by Sai; I knew my attack would have been stopped by someone. Even if no one had stopped it, I knew the Nine-Tailed Fox would help heal Naruto's wound as it had countless times before. Even though I had no intentions of truly killing Naruto, I had to lead everyone to believe my intent was to maim and kill. After Sai stopped the attack, I jumped back a few yards before anyone could bring up a counterattack and I took in Naruto's expression that was glazed over with shock, hurt, and betrayal. He should have known; this game had been played many times before. And if he continued trying to win, it was only going to have the same ending aside from the growing pain of his failure.

Naruto closed his eyes and looked at the ground, smiling sadly. "No matter how hard I try, it can never be enough, can it?" he asked softly and looked up at me, still smiling. "I may not have the hatred to destroy the things that have destroyed me, but how could I when that person is you, Sasuke?" Those words stung more than they would ever know, but I kept a stoic expression as he continued. "I used to think every day that just maybe I would convince you to finally come home...but I guess it's just another promise I cannot keep. The funny thing is, I don't know what disappoints me more...the fact that I can't save you, or the fact that I can't save myself."

I would have questioned what exactly he meant by that, but I didn't want to show that I even cared in the slightest. This was probably as big a burden to carry on my shoulders as it was to Naruto's breaking heart and withered spirit. Naruto Uzumaki should never wear a frown on his face, but there was one right now and I had a feeling he had worn one a lot over the years because of me.

"You can't save everyone, Naruto," I found myself saying before I could stop myself. I clenched my teeth together to prevent from saying more.

Naruto gave me the most devastating smile I had ever seen as he slowly backed away. "I know."

At this point I didn't know what to say. To continue speaking might give something away that I didn't want to give, but I also wanted the conversation to keep going just so I could spend a few more minutes with him. Naruto was the only person I ever considered a true friend and he was one of the best you could ever find. He went through so much pain and sacrifice for me and this is the payment I gave him in return. _**'I hope one day you can forgive me, Naruto...Sakura.'**_

"I will make one more promise to you, Sasuke," he said softly, the smile now disappearing. He fell silent for a moment as if rethinking his choice of words. "I promise I will allow our bond to fade away. I guarantee I will pursue you no further in your journey and leave you be to live your own life for now on. That...you can believe."

My heart skipped a beat at that, not having expected that at all. I barely kept my expression blank although my heart was shattering into pieces. I slowly sheathed my sword just to have something to do as I was sure my hands were trembling. Luckily, they were too distracted to notice.

"Goodbye...Naruto." With those last words, there was little doubt in my mind that would be the last time I saw Naruto Uzumaki, and with that...I disappeared.

 _ **Naruto**_

As we made our way back towards the village, I hardly spoke to anyone aside from muttering two words that were directed towards Sakura, "I'm sorry." No further explanation was needed because she knew exactly what I had meant. The more time that passed, the more guilty I became because the fog was lifting and the last words I had said to Sasuke were finally beginning to set in. I felt selfish for making the decision on my own, especially since Sakura had wanted him back as much as I did and sacrificed just as much...but I couldn't keep doing this to myself...to all of us. There was a time in everyone's lives where they had to accept the reality that was beyond their control to change so they can move on and after chasing a ghost for three years seemed as good a time as any to finally wake up to the truth: he wasn't coming back. And there was nothing I could do to change that fact.

Sakura hadn't said much about my decision but I could tell she was angry with me for not consulting her first. During the entire trip back, I did not speak but two words that were directed towards Sakura, "I'm sorry." She didn't need an explanation to understand what I meant, but she kept trying to reassure me that we would get Sasuke back, but I knew it was an empty promise as mine had been for the last three years. After being silent for four hours, she started to lose faith in her words as well and came to the realization that I was serious about what I had said. I had already broken one promise to Sasuke and Sakura and I was definitely going to make sure this one stayed intact. She may hate me for taking that decision away from her, but it was for the better well-being of all of us.

After we got back home from the mission, we went straight to Lady Tsunade's office to give our mission reports. I didn't even realize we were already in Tsunade's office until a question was directed at me, which shocked me out of my stupor. "I'm sorry...what?" I looked over at Tsunade, slightly startled.

She stared at me for a moment, sympathy clouding her eyes but I knew deep down she was probably seething with annoyance. "Before your next mission, you will go on advanced navigation training with Kakashi-sensei before going back to look for him."

"I'm not going back," I said quickly, staring her intently in the eye so she knew I was serious.

"What did you just say?" she asked, surprise written all over her face.

"I am not going to pursue Sasuke Uchiha any longer. I made a promise and this time I'm going to keep it. It's time to move on and quit wasting everyone's time."

"You made a promise to stay away from Uchiha?" she asked, now getting angry. "Do you know how many strings I had to pull in order for you to go search for him yourself and now you made a promise to not pursue him any further?" A short pause. "You're telling me you're just going to quit after one snag in the plan? What did you expect to happen?" She stood up and slammed her hands onto her desk, glaring down at us. "He left on his own free will; did you really expect him to come back willingly, especially on the first encounter?"

"That's the reason why I can't do it, anymore. Do you believe he would really stay here even if we forced him back to the village?" Her anger was wearing off on me and I couldn't help the surge of anger of my own. "If he doesn't want to be here, then he won't be here. Even the most secure prison cell couldn't stop him from leaving again...and anything that I have to say won't convince him otherwise." I stared at her for a moment before sighing softly and looking at the floor. Just now did I realize how exhausted I really was and wanted nothing more than to leave this room. "Maybe it's time we consider it a mission failure."

Tsunade stared at me with shock, her anger dissipating a little. The atmosphere of the room was so tense, a kunai probably couldn't slice the air. After what seemed like a lifetime, Tsunade finally sat back down and turned her chair to look out the window. "Everyone except Captain Yamato are dismissed. I want to speak with you in private."

Everyone gave a quick bow before filing out of the room, leaving the Hokage Tower behind. The only thing I wanted right now was to get away from all the interrogation and sidelong glances and just go home. Now that business had been conducted and we were left to do as we pleased, I could feel myself crashing more with each passing minute. Sakura was leading the group out of the tower and once we were at the end of the street, she stopped suddenly, making Sai stop suddenly; I was barely able to catch myself from face-planting in Sai's back. We all stood in eerie silence for awhile before I finally looked up at them, noticing they were both staring at me as if I would snap at any minute. My ears started burning off, feeling uncomfortable under their stares.

"I'm going home," I finally said, trying to walk around Sakura. As I went to pass her, she grabbed hold of my jacket sleeve, stopping me in my tracks.

"Naruto, I think you should get checked out at the infirmary first," Sakura said softly.

"I'm fine, Sakura," I said, trying to walk past her again only to have the same result as last time. I wanted to sigh but refrained from doing so. She was just worried about me but her worry was ill-placed as far as my physical health was concerned.

"I insist. You still seem a little weak from the Nine Tails..."

"Sakura...I am more fine than you could ever know." I gave her a hard stare before finally pushing past her, making my way towards home. The short temper couldn't be helped and I was sure I'd feel guilty about it late; right now that was at the very back of my mind.

When I was out of their line of sight, I made a dash for home, not stopping once. Despite how much my lungs burned from running so hard, I didn't let up until I was locked away inside the comfort of my apartment. After entering, I immediately locked the door and put my back to it before closing my eyes tightly, waiting to catch my breath. Now that I was alone and could finally let go, all of the events that had happened within the last few days rushed at me all at once like a swarm of hornets. Only now did I truly comprehend what I had done and I sank to my knees in defeat. My mind was whirling and was starting to make me sick to my stomach. For the rest of my life, I was going to have to wait until Sasuke finally decided to come back on his own. I knew I shouldn't hold my breath, but it was hard not to hold onto the small sliver of hope that remained.

"Sasuke..." I collapsed to my hands and stared at the floor, a few tears falling onto the tiles. I tried calming my breathing, but the constriction I felt in my chest made it that much more difficult. "If you have ever done anything right in your life...please come back."

I slowly opened my eyes and looked around my home in a daze,noting how incredibly lonely it felt and how much darker it seemed. A sigh escaped my lips as I slowly stood and trudged into the kitchen to grab a glass of water. As I slowly drank, I tried cheering myself up by thinking of everyone else, all of the friends and acquaintences I've met on my journeys. They had always been there for me when I needed them and I could trust every one of them with my life. Kiba, Shikamaru and his team, the Hyuga's, Sakura, hell, even Sai was beginning to grow on me although he pissed me off to no end at times. Oops...and I almost forgot the Aburame; despite how incredibly creepy he was, he was still a comrade I could put my faith in. So what if I didn't have Sasuke by my side? I still had all my other friends who were still here and they weren't going anywhere.

"But it's still not the same without you..."

I slammed the glass down on the counter a little harder than I intended before making my way towards the bathroom to take a shower. After stripping and hopping in, I stood with my forehead pressed against the cold tile. While the coolness on my forehead soothed my headache, the hot water begun to work the tension out of my muscles from the long and weary mission. After soaking for a few minutes, I begun to scrub the remaining grime from my body, scrubbing so vigorously my skin was almost rubbed raw. I didn't take too long to finish and as I stepped out, I put on nothing more than a pair of pajama pants, not even bothering to dry off first. My mind was practically on overdrive, my feet having a mind of their own as they dragged myself to the bedroom and I ungracefully fell onto the bed.

As I lay there, waiting for darkness to take over, I looked over to my night stand and stared at the picture of Sakura, Kakashi, Sasuke and myself that we had taken one day after our first day of navigation training. We had spent more time arguing which way to go rather than actually accomplishing anything; we hadn't even gotten to our first checkpoint before darkness fell and we had lost our way back to the village. We wandered aimlessly in the dark for hours, hoping Kakashi-sensei would come find us, but he thought it would be funny to leave us to find our own way back. We eventually called it quits and camped in the forest that night. The next morning, Kakashi found us huddled together to keep warm (it was too dark to gather firewood). Tired and cold, we stumbled after Kakashi back to Konoha. Once we got there and were about to part ways, I couldn't help but start laughing at the misfortune of the day. When asked what was so funny, I told them and everyone but Sasuke laughed since he, of course, had keep that teme-worthy attitude. I couldn't remember what he had said to tick me off so, but we got into a small argument as a cameraman passed by at that moment and offered to take a picture of us and Kakashi thought it was a good idea. We all received a copy of the pictures before saying our farewells and went to our homes for a well deserved night of rest.

A soft smile grazed my lips at the memory, recalling it as if it had happened yesterday. I slowly reached over and ran my hand across the picture absentmindedly before closing my eyes, waiting for sleep to take me in its embrace.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

 _Eight Years Later..._

 _ **Sasuke**_

I could see for miles in every direction from my perch atop one of the mountain peaks that sat just outside Konoha, though there wasn't much to observe from here. Everything in view was lost in an abyss of snow with not even a blade of grass or a rock visible in the thick blanket; the trees were caked in a sheet of ice and was also paled in comparison to how dark and rich the bark usually was. In the distance, I could barely make out the shapes of the looming buildings below and the only way I could tell they were even there at all was from the shadows cast by the setting sun.

It was the first major snow of the year and it had been falling steadily for a week now with no apparent end in sight. For hours, I had been sitting here observing the village I used to call home, but there wasn't much to see aside from the occasional team heading back or leaving for a mission and the younger kids playing in the snow for short periods of time. It was simply too cold for most to be outside, but I had long ago learned to suppress such discomforts. To be honest I didn't know what I was expecting to accomplish by just watching, but I knew down there, somewhere, was the one person I longed to simply catch a glimpse of to make sure he still existed...and I didn't even know if he wanted to see me again with all things considered.

Naruto had done well on keeping his promise throughout the years and it worried me to no end. The last thing I had wanted was for him to completely give up on me, because in all honesty I didn't think that notion would even cross his mind. I knew it was a selfish thing to expect, but it seemed unfathomable that he would suddenly give up on me with the flip of a switch. Did he even want to see me again? The prospect frightened me to the core, but then again I couldn't be surprised if that was the case. After everything I had done, it was the least I deserved. One of the worse mistakes I ever made was leaving Konoha to begin with, but the biggest one of all was pushing Naruto away.

Four years ago, I had accomplished what I had set out to complete and got the revenge I so desperately sought after. Itachi had died right before my eye, but I didn't feel content over my accomplishment like I once believed; in fact it only made me feel more hollow and lonelier than I had ever felt. It felt good to avenge my clan's deaths and I hoped they could finally rest in piece, but after Itachi pressed his fingers to my forehead like he'd done many times when we were children, I only wanted to take it all back. But it was too late.

The absence of Naruto wasn't too bad when I was still on my path to revenge, but once the mission was complete I was more lost than ever. Vengeance was the only path I had ever known, but now that it was over...what was someone supposed to do with the rest of their life? For the months to follow the only thing I could think of was Naruto and the rest of Team Seven. Like every soldier felt after a long war fought, I simply wanted to go home, but that wasn't the fate the stars had aligned for me. Someone could only go so long being alone in the world, so that was what brought me here today. I may die before I even reach the front gates but death was better than living this hollow existence.

Death I wasn't afraid of, but the possible resentment from the only person I really cared about was crippling to even think about. After Naruto had given up on me, he went on to become everything he always dreamt of becoming. In the end we both got what we wanted, but Naruto could actually be happy for what he had achieved while I now had nothing left. He was indeed Hokage now and I was proud of him to say the least. He was everything I couldn't be and I admired him for it. Even if he did resent me, it would probably be for the better; a Hokage didn't need to show any emotional ties with a highly wanted and dangerous criminal.

I closed my eyes and pulled my knees to my chest to attempt trapping some heat to warm my frozen body a bit before attempting to trek through the frozen wasteland. After ten minutes had passed I decided to give up because no amount of heat would defrost me at this point, it seemed, at least not without an escape from the snow itself as the ice and melting snow seeped straight to my bones. I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled it through the thick cloth of my gloves, attempting to get some feeling back in my fingers in case I needed to use a weapon or make hand signs to ward off an attack. With my body working as well as could be expected in such a harsh environment, I started making my slow descent towards the village, heading towards the faint hope of salvation or to my imminent doom.

It was exhausting walking through the deep snow without any snow shoes and it took twice as long than it should have, but I was actually thankful for the delay. The longer it took the more time I had to mull over the implications of my actions. I knew for a fact I couldn't talk myself out of this because I had made the same decision a few times already, long ago. Despite what the outcome may be, I didn't have much hope for the future either way and knew I was most likely walking straight to my own deathbed. Not that it was necessarily a bad thing. The guilt had slowly eaten me alive over the years and it came almost as a relief that the end may be near. I may have given up on myself years ago, even possibly before Naruto had done so.

No one had sensed my approach yet, but I knew they would swarm me in a few moments as I drew closer to the village with less than a mile to go. It was odd that I hadn't run into any resistance yet and paranoia was beginning to set in that I was being surrounded. I had to fight through the instinct to defend myself so I didn't look like more of a threat than my mere presence already was. Almost as soon as the thought crossed my mind a large squad of Anbu had me surrounded and a few even dared to throw kunai at me, which I deflected easily with one of my own. Once I was certain they weren't going to throw anymore, I dropped my kunai and held my palms in the air in surrender.

"If you attack again, I will be forced to defend myself," I stated sternly while looking at one of those who attacked. "If it was my intentions to attack then you would already be dead."

"Then what is your purpose for being here, Uchiha?" I slowly turned to stare at the one who'd spoken, assuming he was the leader of the group. He took a step forward, kunai in hand. Although I couldn't see his face through the mask I could tell he was tracking my every move.

"I've come to turn myself in." I heard a few snorts and gasps of disbelief around me but at least no one attempted to attack again.

"An Uchiha that actually knows when to quit." He motioned towards two Anbu members who immediately flanked his side. "Go alert the Hokage immediately of the return of Uchiha Sasuke. Do it now." The two bowed quickly in compliance and disappeared in a flash of smoke. "Sasuke Uchiha, you are under arrest for the treason you have committed against your own people and for the murder of Shimura Danzo in the first degree. There will most likely be further charges added to your record, but there is plenty of time to get into details later." He made another signal with his hand. I knew what was about to happen and I could have easily dodged the attack, but in order for me to be captured without being killed, I had to let them do as they pleased. With a blunt hit to the back of the head, I was rendered unconscious.

 _ **Naruto**_

I stared out the window of the office at my own face carved into the side of the Hokage monument absentmindedly. It always brought a smile to my face every time I saw it for it served as a reminder of my accomplishments; despite all the obstacles that were sent my way, I overcame them to achieve my goals. There wasn't much work to be done right now, though, given the weather conditions aside from the mounds of paperwork that never seemed to diminish in the slightest. Not that I was procrastinating, either; I had been working diligently on them for five hours straight and my eyes were beginning to burn from the strain. For the most part I was quite content on where my life had brought me, paperwork included. If there was one thing I could have changed, it would be the obvious...to bring Sasuke home as I'd promised countless times before.

Out of every vow and every promise I had made to everyone, I failed to carry out the most important one. My team had put so much faith in my ability to bring Sasuke home and I had let them down. They didn't seem too upset about it, at least as much as I felt they should; maybe it only affected me more potentlyfor it was the weight of my own failures. I felt as if I wasn't just letting down those who loved him, but most importantly I had let down Sasuke. I couldn't save him from the destructive path he decided to take and I knew he was going to spiral into his own destruction. I couldn't save him and I was frightened he wasn't going to be able to save himself when the time arose.

Ever since Sasuke left I wanted to be the one by his side when he extracted his vengeance so I could be there to help him when he needed it. Not that I didn't have faith in his abilities as a shinobi, because I never doubted he would be able to defeat Itachi; I believed when the deed was finally complete, it wouldn't hold the satisfaction for him that he thought it would bring. I may never have known my family, but Sasuke was like my own brother. I remembered how shell-shocked I was when he destroyed those ties with me and I simply didn't want him to go through that same pain. It may not have necessarily been the same situation, but I could only imagine the loss of your own blood brother despite how corrupted they may have been.

When I first learned of the death of Itachi I couldn't help but feel elated over the news. That was the sole purpose of Sasuke's departure and now that his mission was over, I believed he would come back home. One lesson I learned the hard way...hope is a dangerous thing. For the first year I kept my eyes on the front gates to catch that first glimpse of Sasuke, but as more time passed my hopes begun to diminish once more, leaving me buried in a pit even deeper than before. This time was different. I knew at that moment Sasuke wasn't coming home.

A soft sigh escaped my lips as I turned around, my eyes finding their way to the picture of old Team Seven that I kept on my desk. My heart constricted painfully when my eyes fell upon Sasuke's scowling face. Even though we were pissed at one another, I would do about anything to be able to relive that moment with him. On the adjacent side of my desk was a picture of the new Team Seven with Sai and Captain Yamato in it. Though Sai had grown on me, there was no way he could officially replace Sasuke on the team.

A couple of Anbu suddenly appeared in my office who were already bowing by the time my eyes landed on them. "Hokage-sama, we apologize for barging in unannounced but we have urgent news that you will want to hear."

I stiffened at those words. Similar occurrences such as this had occurred in the two long years I had been Hokage and none of those instances were ever the barer of good news. "Well, speak. What is the situation?"

They stood up simultaneously and took off their masks. They looked me in the eye as the same guy continued to speak. "It's Sasuke Uchiha. He was captured just outside the main gate and was taken into custody less than five minutes ago."

I had to grab onto the edge of my desk to study myself as my legs turned to jelly. Luckily, I had learned to keep emotions from my expression when the need for composure arose, so they didn't realize how distraught I really was at this news. It seemed like hours before I could find my voice again but realistically a minute hadn't even passed. Surely they were lying...they had to be because Sasuke hadn't been seen in more than three years. Everyone was almost certain that he had died in a ditch somewhere and deep down I had begun to think so as well.

I released a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding and cleared my throat before speaking. "I hope this is not a false alarm or some kind of joke for your own sakes."

"No, Hokage-sama. We are positive it is the Uchiha. He approached us on his own free will and turned himself in."

"Was there a struggle?"

"One of my men attacked with come kunai but Uchiha didn't make any threatening gestures towards us aside from defending himself." I fell into a short silence as I begun to pace the room in thought. Since he hadn't attacked, then that meant he was here in good grace. Could this mean he had really come back home? At any minute I felt as if I was going to wake up from a horrible nightmare and I actually pinched my arm just to make certain...definitely awake. "Sir, what are your orders?"

"Lock him up in the maximum security wing and do not let anyone speak to him. I want to be the first one to interrogate the Uchiha. Tell him I will be in to pay a visit within the hour, so have him prepared."

Their postures tensed. "With all due respect, do you think that is a wise decision?"

"Did I ask for your opinion?" I snapped without meaning to. I never liked to display my emotions for those I wasn't closely acquainted with but with this situation that was nearly impossible to accomplish. "Now get out of here and do as I say or I will have to assume you are disobeying a direct order from your Hokage."

They gave a quick bow of apology. "As you wish, Hokage-sama." And with that, they disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

Once they were gone, I fell into my chair in utter exhaustion and stared off into space while deep in thought. My mind was still having a difficult time comprehending what I had just been informed and I didn't know if I should believe it or not. Surely they would not have lied but a case of mistaken identity could happen to anyone. After all, it had been many years since he'd been seen and probably looked a lot different than anyone remembered. And if his intent was to hide out without being recognized, then he would try to assume a different identity; at least that was what I would have done.

I was still in shock, but I was beginning to regain my composure after taking a ten minute breather. Before leaving, I opened the bottom drawer to my desk and rifled through some papers, finding the small stack that I was looking for. Paperwork was the only downside of holding the title of Hokage, but this time I didn't mind filling these out at all. It was the documents that were used to write down mission reports with a few being indoctrination papers into the prison. Though the shinobi that completed the mission were supposed to fill out their own paperwork, I felt that I should be the one to do so; this had been my mission well before anyone else and it could finally be put to rest...if this was true. Once I started writing, though, I noticed how bad my hand was shaking and upon further inspection realized the writing was barely eligible. I cursed under my breath and threw the pen on the desk, giving up; this would have to wait until later.

Now that I was sitting here without anything to do, my whirling mind was beginning to settle a little and I could think more clearly. I still didn't know how to feel about this whole situation, but I felt relieved most of all. The initial shock still hadn't left and I knew I had to recollect myself before I walked into that prison cell, because there was no way of knowing what to expect in there. One thing I knew I had to do, though, was keep a level head while I was speaking with him. Sasuke couldn't see any weakness in me because I wanted to prove to him how much I had matured over the years. Even after all these years, I still felt as if I had to prove myself to him.

 _ **'Does he even know I am the Hokage now? Does he even care about what has become of me after all these years?'**_ I spared one last look at the photo on my desk and gave the barest of smiles. _ **'I'm coming, Sasuke.'** _ And with that, I left the office.

Upon my arrival, I was immediately greeted by Sai and Kiba who both wore the same mirrored expressions of shock; they definitely had seen a ghost come through here. Despite our differences, Sai and I had developed a closer relationship with one another and I dared to call the awkward shinobi a friend. Over the years he'd been teaching himself the art of regaining his emotions with the help of Sakura, but he still got feelings confused at times and came to a few misunderstandings with some of the villagers; with a few hospital visits and a couple warnings from the village's police force, he at least learned what not to say...for the most part.

Kiba hadn't hardly changed a bit and still looked the same, complimented with the same wet dog smell and all. The only difference you could really notice was his more solemn attitude at times that he developed after the death of Akamaru, who had died due to injuries received in battle. For a few years after the incident, Kiba lived away from the Inuzuka's compound and stayed away from dogs as much as he could manage. A couple of years back, though, he couldn't help but fall in love with a small, fuzzy grey stray that had an adorable flat face that looked like it had walked into too many walls. He believed it would be a small dog and as the years wore on, it grew to be almost the size of Akamaru. Kaede was his name, if I remembered correctly. Once he was fully grown and they were as efficiently trained as partners like Akamaru and Kiba had been, he moved back into the Inuzuka compound and begun to train the dogs in his spare time when he wasn't performing guard duty around the village.

"Is it true?" Kiba asked, trying his best to keep a grin off his face. By Kaede's jumpy attitude and his tail serving as a windmill, I think it was safe to say Kiba's excitement was wearing off on him; or maybe that was the other way around...

"That's what I have been informed. I'm going inside now to confirm it," I said in as calm as voice as I could manage. Despite my stoic façade, I knew Kiba could read me like a book due to his impeccable sense of smell.

"Are you seriously going in to speak with him, Naruto-kun?" Sai asked, looking somber.

"I'm going to talk to him," I said again, staring him in the eye so he got the message; now that he'd learned his emotions, he tended not to believe or listen to what a person had to say unless they were staring him in the eye because 'it was rude not to look into a person's eyes as one was addressing someone.' His newfound knowledge did get tiresome at times, but like a baby he had to learn to crawl before he could run.

I tried walking pass him but Sai grabbed me by the shoulder with a firm hold. My eyes stared at the offending hand for a moment before looking back at him in rising annoyance.

"Naruto, as your friend... if you go in there... don't let your emotions cloud your better judgment." The way he said it sent shivers down my spine. I'd never seen him so serious before.

I put my own hand on Sai's shoulder and forced a smile. "I'll keep that in mind, Sai. This trip is merely business-related. That's all." Even Sai didn't need an Inuzuka's nose to know that I was lying.

"Just be careful." He released his hold and before anyone could stop me again, I walked away.

It was amazing the loops the Hokage had to jump through in order to be allowed entrance into the maximum security ward and it was starting to piss me off. Every step I took it seemed another guard appeared out of thin air to stop me and give me the same pep talk as Sai had done. I knew they were only worried about my well-being, but wasn't the Hokage supposed to be one of the strongest shinobi in the village? I didn't earn the title by merely sitting on my ass and was very well capable of defending myself if Sasuke tried anything, which I didn't believe he would. Then again...he had made me out to be a liar before...

Almost half an hour passed before I was allowed entry into the ward and had an entourage following me. The guards had talked it over with one another to see who was best suited to go back there with me and after much debating, they decided on a member of the Aburame clan that I didn't know so he could disperse the bugs for surveillance and seep the chakra out of Sasuke if needed. A Hyuga was also amongst them so she could use her Byakugan to track every chakra fluctuation that coursed through Sasuke's body, not that I thought it was really necessary due to the chakra restraints that was mandatory for all prisoners. The last two guards chosen were Kiba and Sai for their brawns if the situation arose.

"If he attempts anything or even moves a certain way that raises the slightest suspicions, do not hesitate to call us over and we will extinguish the situation accordingly," Sai said as we walked down the final hallway. This was only one of the ninety-dozen rules they had given me for this visit; if it was going to be this way with every visit, then I wasn't for sure it was worth it.

 ** _'You liar. You know it's worth it. You've been through much worse than this when it comes to seeing Sasuke.'_**

"I know, Sai," I said tersely, not bothering to hide my annoyance. "I swear the next person who opens their mouth, I will dock their pay for a week and make them spit shine all the monuments in the village."

"We're sorry; it's just protocol. There isn't really a rulebook for these kind of things," Kiba said. "It's not everyday the Hokage decides to pay a visit to a highly-wanted and dangerous criminal, you know."

"Put a lid on it, dog breath!" I tried shoving him into the wall, but he was like a brick wall. Didn't they understand how nervous I already was without them adding the extra mounted pressure on top of it?

"One last thing, Naruto." I stopped this time and slowly craned my head to look at Sai. I was going to tell him off, too, but the look on his face stopped my words short. He almost looked sad, but I didn't understand why. "Just be prepared for what you might see."

I stared at him for another moment and contemplated on asking why, but I just nodded and slowly started walking down the long hallway, accompanied by the group of guards. The hallway was too narrow for anyone to stand by my side, so we went single file until we reached the more open layout of the cell block. This ward was one of the wards where the most dangerous criminals were held, but not many were ever held in here at a single time for the fear of a coup de'tat. To prevent this from happening, there were four wards in the prison that held no more than four individuals at one time.

"Due to the nature of this occasion, this ward has been evacuated with only the exception of the Uchiha," Sai said before stopping and turning to me. "Sasuke is in the last cell on the left." He started to move out of the way but paused, looking uncertain as if he wanted to say something.

I could tell he was only worried for my own well being but it didn't make it any less annoying. A soft sigh escaped my lips as I leaned towards him, whispering in his ear in case Sasuke overheard, "it will be okay, Sai. I honestly doubt he would have come all this way just to assassinate me. If that was his intentions...then there is no doubt in my mind he would have done so already. He wouldn't have needed to be captured to do it...that's just stupid." I leaned away from him and offered a smirk before taking a step away.

"I will alert if there are any suspicious technicalities," I assured everyone. "In the meantime I want everyone to stay here until I say otherwise."

Without waiting for a response, I slowly made my way towards the end of the ward. The closer I got the quicker my heart raced and for a moment I swear it was going to tear its' way out of my chest and run away. As I neared the cell I noticed the tension getting thicker as if I was walking through a wall of fog; a kunai couldn't even penetrate the atmosphere of the room. Before rounding the last corner, I took a deep breath and held it in as I made the last step around the wall...and froze.

Directly in front of me sat Sasuke in the flesh. I was tempted to rub my eyes to make sure it wasn't a hallucination but I knew this was in fact reality. One of the ways I could tell was because in all my dreams and visions, Sasuke had always looked the same as he had the last day that I saw him. This one sitting before me, though, held little resemblance to the Sasuke I had once known.

His hair was much longer than before as it now fell just below his shoulder blades and was held in a loose ponytail, his bangs being too short to be held in it; it looked like it hadn't been washed or combed in over a week. Never before had Sasuke worn facial hair, either, but now had a beard that must have been at least a month old. It was hard to tell anything else that was different about him because of the blindfold covering his eyes. To me, the eyes were the most important to look at because they held more truth in them than any words ever could.

Once the shock had faded over his haggard appearance, only then did I notice the chakra restraints wrapped around his hands, arms, ankles, legs, and midsection. The chains were wrapped around his body twice before meeting the bolts on the wall that Sasuke sat against. It was hard to look at him while restrained like a rabid animal in a cage and I had to force myself to remain stoic, expressionless.

 ** _'Did they take all these precautions due to my visit or would they always have him chained up like this...?'_** It took me a while to remember how to breathe. Despite the anger I felt, I still felt sorry for him being restrained in this matter but it was the safest way for all of us and I knew it.

The cell had already been unlocked upon my arrival and I slowly pushed the creaking gate to the side and stepped into the room, stopping three feet from Sasuke. Once I was in the room I couldn't help but stare on in silence. All these years I had to fight to get my head out of the clouds before finally coming to the realization that Sasuke was gone from our lives for good. The complete absence of hope had sent me into a depression that I didn't think I would ever fully recover from...yet here he was now sitting before me. It made me sick to think about the obstacles I had to overcome due to his departure and now that he was back, all the heartache seemed pointless. Sickness begun to turn into anger the more I dwelled on it; all those wasted years worrying about an asshole who could have cared less! Such a waste of time and energy.

For what felt like an hour I waited for him to say something, anything, but the wait was in vain. I knew he would have awoken when he sensed my presence, so he must have been intent on me getting the first word in. No problem on my watch; I had plenty needing said to the bastard.

"Sasuke..." I waited for a response but none ever came. "To be honest I don't know what to say to you. Maybe I was dreaming, but I remember someone saying to me long ago that they were never coming back."

Another minute passed with no response and I gritted my teeth together to prevent yelling at him. I shook my head in disbelief at his silence and closed the distance between us. Without thinking about what I was doing, I grabbed onto the back of his blindfold and snatched it off his head. Whether it was the worry that something may have been wrong with him or the ignorance that drove me to do so, I couldn't say for certain. One thing was definite, though...as the cloth fell away to reveal the two onyx orbs staring directly at me, I almost lost all my resolve right then. Just like that, my anger had melted away completely.

I was almost certain my mouth had fell open upon seeing him for the first time. My breathing hitched in my throat and was soon left gasping for air. Those eyes were as black as the deepest depths of space and the eyes that once held so much confidence and hatred now held nothing at all. The look I received was so hollow, there seemed to be no end to their gaze. It was hard not to look away because for one panicked moment I felt the overwhelming sense of déjà vu that I was staring in the mirror at myself; for far too long I had worn that same expression in my eyes every time I looked in the mirror and knew exactly what that look implied. Hopeless and defeat were two emotions I didn't even know an overconfident Uchiha knew the definitions to, little on carry the ability to express them.

The longer I stared at him the more I realized his appearance wasn't the only thing that had changed so drastically. There was no mistaking the glazed look in his eyes and the dark bags below them only proved the point more; it looked like he hadn't slept since the last time he had shaved. The way his shoulders sagged, how his body slouched in the chair...everything about him told me everything that I needed to know without Sasuke even saying a word. He was a man who had simply given up.

"I'm going to leave if you do not say anything. I have better things to do than talk to a wall all day." There was a spark of emotion that lit up his eyes for a moment that almost looked like panic, but it disappeared as quickly as it had come.

"Does it really matter what I have to say?" he asked in monotony. He seemed so helpless I couldn't even bring myself to be angry even though I wanted to be. I wanted to kick him and scream at the top of my lungs, throw insults at him along with the chair that he was sitting on but I couldn't bring myself to do anything of the sort. I felt as helpless as Sasuke was hopeless.

"Depending on what you have to say, it could determine the difference between your punishment or freedom. With the crimes you have committed, it could possibly exempt you from execution." I clenched my teeth together and crossed my arms to look as stoic as possible. This was definitely not what I had expected when I saw him again and I was completely ill-prepared to handle this kind of situation; I didn't know what the hell I was doing.

Sasuke remained silent for a moment, staring me in the eye still. "Would you?"

My eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion. "Care to elaborate?"

"If my life was solely in your hands, would you spare my life?" he asked plainly, no hint of emotion in his voice whatsoever. The only way I could tell he was feeling anything at all was the short spikes of emotion hidden in his eyes, but with every passing moment I could tell the walls hiding his emotions were crumbling.

Realization finally hit me with a slap in the face but I remained silent, not really knowing what to say. If it was just Naruto's decision, he would definitely do everything in his power to save him, but as the Hokage...could he let someone like Sasuke free again?

Sasuke, for once in his entire life smiled at me...a sad smile, but a smile nonetheless. And it completely broke my heart. This was the only time he had ever smiled for me and it was when we were talking about his own death. "I didn't think so," he said softly.

Those words made me flinch and I had to look off to the side. "You know I'll do everything I can to free you, Sasuke..." I said barely above a whisper.

"Why should you?" he snapped suddenly, causing me to flinch again. All the guards in the hallway tensed, but didn't dare come to check on us. Sasuke must have noticed the tension, too, for he lowered his head and continued more calmly. "Why should my salvation even be a question after everything I have done?"

"Why did you come back if you were almost certain you were going to be executed, then?" I looked back at him, glaring slightly.

Sasuke slowly looked up at me and stared me in the eye. "After everything I have done to you... the least you deserve is to watch me die. Whether you want to see me executed in front of the entire village to make an example of me or to see it done only by your own eyes...it's up to you. I do not deserve anything better than death for all the suffering I have caused you. To everyone."

I was taken aback when he said that and was completely caught off guard. My heart ached hearing him speak like that and it left me utterly speechless. He just came here to simply die with no hope of returning to a normal life in his home? This was the first time I had ever seen Sasuke so...vulnerable. Not because he was chained to the wall (because we both knew he could easily break free from this place if he wanted to), but mentally. This wasn't Sasuke; it couldn't be.

"You shouldn't talk like that, Sasuke..." I whispered, not trusting my voice. If it had been in his nature in the slightest, I thought he might laugh, which I wouldn't have minded at all just to lighten the mood. That may have broken me entirely, though, since I probably would have died of a heart attack first.

"Why?" he asked more calmly than I wanted to hear.

I stayed quiet for a long moment, thinking carefully on my response. He was set so clearly on dying, what could I say? Did he truly want death so badly, or did he honestly believe there wasn't any salvation left for him? I couldn't stand the thought of Sasuke embracing death so closely. Everyone claims the last stage of someone wanting to die was the acceptance and the fact that Sasuke was so calm about this whole conversation scared me even more.

Slowly, I walked over to him and put my hands on either side of his chakra restraints; their power begun to seep my own chakra from my body but I simply didn't care. We were only an inch apart from one another, our noses almost touching as we stared one another in the eye for a tense minute. We stayed like that for what seemed like forever before I finally broke the silence. "Do you want to die?" I whispered, though I already knew his response.

Sasuke remained quiet for a long time, staring me in the eye and I was beginning to think he wasn't going to answer; I kind of wished he hadn't. "Yes."

My heart skipped a beat after he finally admitted it and I didn't realize I had stopped breathing until I felt the burning sensation in my oxygen-deprived lungs. Hearing that one word unraveled me and shredded my heart to ribbons. The only reason he came here was to die...and he wanted me to be the one ensure his death. I slowly backed away from him until my back hit the steel bars behind me which was the only thing supporting me. A long silence filled the room as I looked everywhere but Sasuke's face; I couldn't bring myself to look at him.

A tear threatened to fall as I found enough courage to finally look at him, managing to look scornful despite the pain I felt. "You shouldn't have come back." Damn the waver in my voice. I walked out of the cell and slammed the door shut. With the last of my resolve, I looked up at him angrily. "You should have saved me the trouble." I didn't spare another glance in Sasuke's direction as I walked off, disappearing around the corner.

My legs felt heavier than lead and it sucked away every bit strength I had as I made my way out of the ward. Thankfully, no one tried speaking to me as I shoved them out of my way, then followed after me. Once I reached the main hallway I couldn't contain my frustration any longer and let out a loud yell before punching the wall. The thick wood bowed under the pressure and splintered into hundreds of pieces, slicing into my hand. I barely even noticed the stinging as blood trickled down my hand nor did I notice the displaced knuckles.

"Naruto!" Sai yelled and was immediately by my side. He started to reach for my hand but hesitated, his hand hovering just over my forearm. "Are you alright?"

I barely even heard his words and I slowly looked up at him, simply staring. Words wouldn't even form in my brain right now, so I couldn't respond.

"I think you broke your hand...Let me take you to see Sakura-chan so she can bandage it." When I didn't respond, he narrowed his eyes. "Naruto! Snap out of this...this..." He didn't know the right word so gave up on trying. "I am taking you to the hospital to have this checked out. I do not care that I am giving you orders, this is not negotiable." Sai grabbed me by the sleeve of my good arm and practically pulled me towards the exit.

As we made our way towards the hospital, no one bothered to speak much to my relief. My mind was whirling at high speeds and it was making me dizzy for I couldn't even form a single coherent thought. Sasuke's vacant eyes were seared into my memory and among all the jumbled thoughts, they were always there to haunt me. What was I supposed to do now? If Sasuke was looking forward to death, then how was I supposed to save him?

I was still in a daze when we arrived at the hospital and almost forgot why we had come in the first place until I noticed the throbbing in my hand as I tried clenching my hands into fists. Despite the pain in my hand. it was nothing compared to the pain I felt in my heart. Sasuke's return was supposed to be a time of rejoice, yet it only tore open old wounds and made me feel just as helpless as before. There was no way I could live with myself if I failed him again, especially when he needed me the most.

"Hokage-sama...what a pleasant surprise," the receptionist said nervously, looking surprised to see me. "How may I help you?"

"The Hokage has injured his hand, you see-" Sai began until I cut him off.

"I want to see Sakura."

She stared at me in contemplation for a moment. "Of course. Would you like for me to escort you?"

"I can find my own way, thanks." I hated to sound so short, but I really wasn't in the mood for formalities. The expression on her face looked as if I had slapped her and I momentarily felt guilty. "I'm sorry, I'm just in a hurry, is all."

"No need to apologize, Hokage-sama!" She said quickly, flushing slightly. "Misses Haruno is in the pharmacy taking inventory. Take the second hallway to the left and it's the first door on the right."

"Thank you." I do not know what had possessed me to say Sakura's name because she wasn't even on my mind when I had blurted it out. I was glad we were going to see her, though, because now that I thought about it she would have killed me if she found out Sasuke was back without hearing the words from my mouth first.

Sakura's pink hair was easy to spot through the rows of metal shelves that filled the room. She didn't notice my approach at first as she was leaned over a container, counting bottles of pills but once she noticed my chakra, she stopped and turned to look at me. She was as shocked to see me as the receptionist had been.

"Naruto-kun, what are you doing here?" she asked as she stepped over, smiling. "Not that I'm not happy to see you. It's just you've never visited me at the hospital before." Her eyebrows then furrowed. "Nothing is wrong, is there?"

I gave her a small grin and rubbed the back of my neck nervously with my good hand. "Heh, it actually wasn't my idea to come here but Sai insisted."

"Naruto-kun got into a fight with a wall and as you can see the results...the wall won." Sai motioned towards my hand as he looked at me, then Sakura. I gave Sai one of my best glares and flicked him off which he reciprocated with one of his signature smiles.

Sakura immediately came to my side and gingerly picked up my hand. Despite her gentle touch, the slightest shift in my hand sent lightning bolts up my arm and I winced. She sighed heavily. "You idiot...thankfully the entire hand isn't shattered, but all of your knuckles are seriously jammed, and you managed to break the ulna in the wrist area. I can heal most of the break, but the knuckles will have to be pulled back in place and heal on their own. You still have a few weeks of healing to do, but that is the best I can do for you."

"A few weeks?! I can't allow my writing hand to be out for that long!"

"You should have thought about that before trying to make new enemies."

This left me speechless as the statement made me think of Sasuke once more. I turned to look at Sai who must have known what I was thinking, as he was staring right back at me. His eyes were trying to get the message across to tell Sakura and I shook my head once, hoping Sakura didn't notice the little exchange; of course nothing got passed her, though.

"What else is there? I know you are both hiding something from me..."

I released a sigh of my own and slowly turned to Sakura, staring her in the eye tiredly. "I wasn't going to leave this building without telling you, but I would appreciate it if my hand was healed before talking about this. I want your undivided attention when I tell you...and also have your complete concentration on healing the hand that feeds this village." I grinned at her, though it was forced.

She looked a bit uncertain and even a little worried after I had said that, but nodded nonetheless. "Alright...fair enough. Follow me into my office so I can heal you and splint the arm."

It took a little over an hour for the splinters to be taken out, the arm healed as much as it could be the knuckles popped into place, and a splint to be put on my wrist. Once it was done, I lifted my arm and stared at the white cast that went half-way up the forearm. Considering the right hand was also my writing hand, I didn't know how I was going to go about completing all the paperwork that would have to be done. That was the least of my worries right now, though.

"Do not attempt using your arm for awhile or you will prolong the healing process," Sakura said as she took a seat in the doctor's chair. "I want you to gently flex your fingers a few times a day for a few minutes at a time, though, to fully reset the jammed knuckles."

I nodded in agreement and looked at her, staring for a moment before looking over at Sai. He had been unusually quiet ever since we came into this room but then again no one had really spoken aside from Sakura giving instructions.

"You should tell her now, Naruto," Sai said, making me cringe slightly.

For some unknown reason I dreaded telling her, but as a teammate who wanted Sasuke back just as badly as I did she deserved to know. I didn't want to tell her because I felt deep down that I was protecting her from the truth of Sasuke's current condition, but if she loved him as much as she had claimed in the past then she would have accepted him in any form, mentally disturbed or not.

I clicked my tongue on the roof of my mouth and turned back towards Sakura who was looking impatient. "Would you just spit it out already?!" she blurted out. "You are beginning to scare me. Did someone die or something?"

 _ **'They aren't dead, yet, but there is hardly much difference.'**_

"I know you aren't one to believe in ghosts or anything of that nature, but I believe I am about to change your way of thinking..." I paused for a moment and stared her in the eye to gauge her reaction. "A few hours ago I was informed by a couple of Anbu member about the detainment of a lurker who was captured just outside the front gates. So I went to the prison myself to confirm their claims as to who this intruder was..." from the light in her eyes, I could tell that she already knew what I was going to say, "When I got there...I was able to confirm that it really was Sas-" I didn't even get to finish before Sakura's arms wrapped around my neck in a vise grip hug. My arms hesitantly snaked around her shoulders and I hugged her back as well, letting her ride out her excitement before getting into the more bitter details. It was very rare for Sakura to openly show her affections towards me and I wasn't one to allow such an opportunity to pass by.

"Sasuke really is back home...isn't he?" she whispered so softly I barely caught it.

I didn't know if she was talking to herself or not but I found myself answering, anyways. "Yes, he really is home, Sakura-chan."

She must have finally noticed the somber tone in my voice because she pulled back and looked me in the eye, brows furrowed. "You aren't as happy as I thought you would be. Is Sasuke okay?"

"Sasuke is fine...physically so, that is. Mentally, I cannot really say with certainty."

"W...what do you mean exactly?"

I sighed softly and lowered my gaze to the floor as I continued to speak. Sai hadn't heard the initial conversation that I'd had with Sasuke, but it wouldn't hurt for him to hear the details. After all, he was a member of our team as well and even though he didn't know Sasuke as well as we did, he still had a right to know considering he went on the final mission to attempt retrieving him. "He isn't the same Sasuke that we used to know. During the brief visit I had with him...he seems nothing like the arrogant, smart-ass bastard we used to know. He has a vacant look to his eyes that I have never seen before and the things we talked about..." I gnashed my teeth together and shut my eyes tightly to prevent tears from spilling. "He wants to die, Sakura. That was the only reason he came back to the village. And he wants me to be the one to kill him."

Everyone fell into a long bout of silence and when I opened my eyes again, Sakura's mouth was slightly agape and had a few tears sliding down her cheek. I shook my head, hating that I had upset Sakura but she had the right to know. Without a word, I closed the distance between Sakura and I and hugged her again, not knowing what else to do to comfort her. When I looked over at Sai, he also had shock etched onto his face. Nobody seemed to know what to say as we sat in the silence for a while longer. A pin could have dropped at the end of the hallway and I was almost certain we would have been able to hear it.

"What are we going to do, Naruto?" Sakura asked before biting her lip nervously.

I honestly didn't know what to tell her but there was no way I could say I honestly hadn't a clue. Not only as the leader of the village but as her friend, I had a duty to uphold because I was always supposed to be the one with the plan and right now there were only blanks to be filled even in my own mind. "We will save him, of course." I pulled her at arms length and gave her a smile. "We may have failed previously, but he is in our possession now and he isn't going anywhere. He may be waiting for me to give him the final blow but he's going to be waiting for a long time. You know I'm not going to kill him. I don't think I could even if I wanted to. I swear to you, Sakura...until I take my last breath I will not allow anything to happen to him."

Sakura stared at me before nodding and offered a small smile. "I believe in you, Naruto."

"Well, I don't," Sai said in a loud voice, startling us both. We turned to look at him in bewilderment. He folded his arms and I took it as a sign of defiance.

I turned towards sigh with eyes narrowed. "What the hell did you just say to me?"

"Excuse me for intruding on the conversation, but do you really think you should promise her that? After all, Sasuke was at the top of the high-valued target list and he's on the Root's radar. Do you honestly believe they will let him live after everything he has done?"

A growl found it's way to the surface as I took a step towards him. "If you or any of the other Root bastards lay one unauthorized finger on his head I will kill you myself, do you hear me? And if you value the lives of any of your former teammates, I would suggest you to pass on the message."

Sai glared at me slightly and looked a little hurt at the threat,, but still remained stoic. "Sasuke is dangerous. I don't care if he was your best friend a decade ago-times change. And so has your relationship with the Uchiha." He took a step forwards and were now mere inches apart. "He abandoned you the moment he abandoned this village and you are willing to put your position on the pedestal along with your life and the lives of the rest of the village to protect him?"

"With every thread of my being," I growled. I barely recognized my own voice and I knew my demon side was peeking through, but I couldn't help it.

Sai stared at me for a long time, eyes wide in disbelief. "Just as I feared...you're going to let the Uchiha cloud your judgment as Hokage." He had finally lowered his voice and now just sounded tired.

I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt with my good hand and pulled him towards me until our noses touched. "Do no ever question my abilities as Hokage again. And do not pretend to understand the situation between Sasuke and myself. Our bond is something that you cannot possibly understand, but of course how could you? You're the emotionless freak who can't even feel emotions."

"Naruto! That is enough!" For a moment I had almost forgotten Sakura was in the room. As I turned to look at her I noticed the fear glazed in her eyes. Her presence brought me out of my rage and I calmed almost immediately, releasing Sai. Without saying a word more to anyone, I made my way to the door but Sai's voice stopped me from leaving.

"I may not understand emotions as well as the two of you do, but I do have feelings now...and your lack of consideration for them hurts. Is that all that I am to you, Naruto? A means to do your bidding? I guess it shouldn't matter too much to me either way because that is what everyone expects of me." He paused for a moment before continuing. "There are things I do not understand about you and the Uchiha, but I once had a brother that I cared for as well...and I was forced to fight him to the death. I didn't want to, but I knew it was something that I had to do. One thing I understand more than you do, though...the sense of duty over personal feelings. I did what had to be done because I had to do it. Whatever you do...I will support you in your decision whether it's the right choice or not because I am your friend whether you want me to be or not. I just hope you aren't making a horrible mistake...Naruto-kun."

I stood in the doorway for the longest as I let his words sink in. The guilt of what I had said was already nagging at me to apologize but I bit back the feelings. Sai may have been right but I wasn't so quick to agree with him. Sasuke may be dangerous and unpredictable, but I didn't wait for the moment of his return just to put him down like a stray dog even if that was all that he was. Whatever may come of Sasuke, I was willing to take full responsibility for his actions even if it cost me my own life.

Once my mind was mine to control again, I walked out the door, slamming it shut behind me.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

 _ **Sasuke**_

Two weeks had passed since I first arrived in the village and Naruto had only visited me the one time when I had first been captured. Whether I could consider myself being truly home I couldn't say with conviction because "home" would imply having the freedom to do as I pleased and be given the opportunity to continue living life, but that was quite difficult to accomplish considering I was locked in a cage like an animal at the zoo. It's kind of funny now that I thought about it; when I was a young kid, even before the days at the academy, my father had spoken of a few prisoners who were on the high priority list that had been captured and I remember thinking they were the vilest, lowest, evilest people to ever walk this earth at the time. Not once did I ever believe I would actually be standing in those same footsteps, laying my head on the same mats, seeing the same view through the steel bars, and sharing their same title. Did I think I was as low and evil as those people had been? In the sense of justice, no, I honestly couldn't bring myself to believe it...that didn't mean I didn't think that I was truly scrum of the Earth and maybe these accommodations were exactly what someone of my stature deserved.

The brief conversation I had with Naruto had given me plenty to think about during the passing weeks and his words were the only thing I could bring myself to dwell upon. Unlike the other prisoners, I didn't receive letters nor was I given the stationary to write my own. I wasn't given any books to read, either, and there were no other prisoners in this ward to talk to, not that I would have done so, anyways; it would have still been nice to hear the voices of another just so I felt like I was still on Earth instead of buried deep in a dungeon to be forgotten. The only thing I had was my own company, the occasional visit from the guards who escorted me to and from interrogation, and the words left by the blond that continued to haunt me with each passing day. Even the brutal interrogation techniques I had succumbed to hadn't left as deep an impression as they had hoped, but Naruto's words never seized to plague my thoughts.

My biggest fear upon returning to the village wasn't the punishment I would face or the hatred I would receive by the entire village, but only the opinion of one idiot mattered to me and it scared me more than having a blade poised to slit my throat. I wasn't naïve enough to believe he would simply welcome me back with open arms and a grin plastered on his face; to be welcomed in the smallest degree would have been enough, though I hadn't even received that much. There was little doubt in my mind that he would be angry with me, but I never imagined to return only to have his full resentment and it was crushing to the soul. After all the years I'd spent on my path of vengeance, Naruto had always been the light that beckoned to me and I could always count on it to guide me through the darkness like a lighthouse guided a lost ship at sea through the dense fog. Even though he didn't understand why I had to walk the path I'd chosen, he'd always stuck by my side and believed in me nonetheless; even after he agreed not to pursue me any longer, I stubbornly held on to the small part of innocence that remained and allowed myself to believe he still possessed that same opinion, trusting me to accomplish what I had set out to do before returning home on my own free will. Perhaps that was his mindset in the beginning but I had obviously whittled down that trust and lost the right to be given it. Now that Naruto had voiced his hatred of me, I now had nothing to fill the void that his face had filled for so many years. All the years I spent lying to myself...I had given in to the belief that everything would be fine in the end, but now I felt like a fool for ever having thought so in the first place.

During our last conversation, I knew my words would hurt the blond but it hadn't been my intentions; I simply couldn't bring myself to lie to him again. Surely he would understand the reasoning behind the directions my thoughts had taken or so I thought, but he either didn't understand or simply didn't care what I had to say anymore. No one cared to know. I truly had nothing else to lose: my entire family was dead, I lost the respect of my friends, there was no home left for me to run to, I managed destroy the last threads of the bond with my best friend, and I had nothing more to offer the world other than giving it the grim satisfaction of my death; at least this was a gift that would please everyone, including the one that brought me back in the first place. Dying was the only thing left for me to do in this wretched existence.

This was the legacy left behind of the once great clan of the Uchiha. I was the last one standing and I had done nothing to restore my family's grace. The last of the Uchiha was among the most dishonored of all and when future generations learn of the name, the ones that will define them will be the two brothers who betrayed them all and had brought about their imminent destruction. This small, significant moment in history would be the one that defined the once great clan for an eternity.

A few days after my capture, I had been released from my restraints and was finally allowed to take the blindfold off, but I still had to wear ankle restraints that sucked the chakra from my body to leave me feeling weak and discourage any thoughts of escape. At least I was given an actual cell to stay in instead of the dark pit I had once imagined, and although I was given food regularly I couldn't bring myself to eat even when I tried forcing it down. Every morning a guard brought me breakfast, but it always went back untouched; this was the same for the other meals as well except I usually kept the rice balls, fruit, or other like items from the dinner tray so I could eat them just before going to sleep. Eating before going to bed always helped me sleep better as my stomach didn't cramp up as bad. Every night I went to sleep with the hope I would never wake again, but every morning my eyes opened to reality after being awoken by the guard who brought the breakfast. I knew Naruto must have pulled some strings to be given such treatment and although this didn't necessarily prove he legitimately cared for my well-being, it still gave me a minuscule fragment of hope that he still cared. This meant near to nothing, though, as he just had a good heart and would have done it for anyone who was put in my situation.

Day in and day out, I laid on the cot, staring at the ceiling, and waiting for the time the guards would carry me away for my execution. I didn't know which was worse, really: waiting for the inevitable moment when they would come to escort me to the execution grounds or seeing the look on Naruto's face the moment the sword was brought down to end my life. The only change in pace were the days I was taken out of my cage and marched to the interrogation room to be interrogated by Ibiki Morino. They couldn't have picked a better shinobi for the job because he was the best in his line of work. Despite the fact he never got a word out of me didn't make him bad at what he did; the man had a way with words that would make anyone with the strongest of wills cave in an instant, but that was the key to it all; this only worked on those who actually had a will to live and had something to lose. He never got a word out of me and this pissed him off to no end although he tried to suppress it...it never worked. I was sure not many people got the better of Ibiki and it was actually quite amusing to witness.

The loud clatter of the main gate opening in the ward snapped me out of my thoughts and I turned my head just slightly to stare out of the corner of my eye, waiting for the guards to round the corner of the cell. Three sets of footsteps I calculated, one more than usual. Every time someone entered the ward my breath always hitched in my throat and my pulse quickened as I never knew the nature of the visit. The one thought that always floated in the front of my mind, though... **_'is this it?'_** Three figures came around the corner and came to a halt. One of them held more chakra restraints and another held onto a sack that would be fitted over my head which meant it was time for a little field trip.

One of the guards cleared his throat before stepping forward, making sure not to make eye contact. "Sasuke Uchiha, you have a meeting to attend to and we are your escorts," he said loudly before tossing the sack into the cell. Despite the tough guy act he was trying to wear, it wasn't lost on me that he was just as nervous as I was. "You should know the drill by now. Put the sack on your head, strap the neck piece into place, and walk backwards to the bars so we can put on the cuffs."

 _ **'This really may be the time.'**_

Wordlessly, I slowly picked up the sack before pulling it on, strapping it snugly to my neck so I wouldn't be tempted to look out of the bottom of it. Did they always make Sharingan and other Kekkei Genkai users who had eye abilities wear these sacks or was I merely a special case? Once I had the sack on and was cuffed properly, the cell door swung open just as two guards grabbed my arms with a firm grip and practically dragged me out of my cell. This was a new change in pace and their forceful attitudes made me believe even more strongly that this truly was the end. Now that the time was really here, I didn't know how to react and felt myself beginning to panic. Without warning, my body acted on its own accord as I struggled in their grasp and foolishly attempted to use Chidori, but it did nothing but turn into a barely visible sizzle of static electricity.

One thinks they are ready for death until the time actually comes to embrace it, but until that time is upon them only then do they realize they hadn't known a damn thing. Instead of memories of the past flashing before your eyes, you begin to realize the experiences not yet lived, words that were left unspoken, promises that would go unfulfilled. This was when you begun to realize that in that single moment of panic, it comes to your attention that you had more left to live for that you once thought irrelevant.

No, I couldn't let it end this way! I never got the chance to apologize to Naruto and I couldn't die with at least letting him know that much.

"Cease and desist!" I couldn't have been certain if a guard had said it aloud or if it was the last fragment of my rational subconsciousness speaking to me, but I couldn't bring myself to listen either way. As the guards grabbed hold of me more firmly, I still continued my struggle and attempted to pull my hands out of the cuffs until I felt the warmth of blood trickle down my hands. Someone kicked the back of my knee harshly to throw me off balance and just as they did they forced me to the ground, crushing my face into the cracked concrete floor. A few moments later a fourth party came running down the hall and I felt something stab into my arm. I was beginning to wonder what it was until I felt the warmth coursing through my veins and soon felt my limbs turning to jelly; I could barely even flex my fingers.

"What did you do to me?" I asked with as much venom as I could muster, though I only managed to sound desperate. Damn it for my show of weakness in front of these people. For the moment I was left humiliated and felt more vulnerable than I could ever recall feeling before.

"We can't have you pulling stupid shit like that again or we will not hesitate to kill you. Do you understand, Uchiha?" one guard asked, panting for breath.

"Yes," I said with much difficulty due to the fact that someone had their knee pressed into the back of my neck. "I understand."

I didn't have a choice but to calm down as the drugs coursed strongly through my system, slowing my blood pressure and relaxed my nerves further. My ability to think clearly was still with me, thankfully, so I knew it hadn't been an ordinary tranquilizer that they'd stuck me with. I could barely feel anything and when I was suddenly airborne, it startled me until I realized I'd been picked up by two of the guards and placed on me feet. Despite my best efforts I couldn't manage to get my feet to cooperate with me and was dragged down the hallway like a ragdoll.

Whenever I had been taken out of my cell, I made it a habit to count the steps and seconds it took to arrive where I was going while paying close attention to the turns made through the maze of hallways to reach the interrogation room, trying to map out the place for future reference in case I needed an escape route for whatever reason. There never was a single thought to escape but old habits died hard. It was difficult to map out the route now when you couldn't even feel your own feet beneath you, so I gave up trying. Even as I counted the seconds I couldn't rely on the results because the guard's pace was being slowed down by the dead weight. but I was almost certain we had traveled further than the interrogation room. We finally came to a stop and entered a room; once I was taken inside I was thrown into a chair where I barely managed to sit up.

"What the hell is this?" I heard someone whisper from the back of the room. I vaguely recognized the voice but couldn't quite place my finger on the answer. "What is wrong with him?"

"It is not a fault of ours, sir. As we were preparing the prisoner to escort him, he put up a struggle and we were forced to administer-"

"I don't care what happened; you are shinobi and should have detained him by using the skills you trained for. The Hokage is not going to be pleased when he arrives." Hearing the mentioning of Naruto made my heart start racing.

"I apologize, but we were only taking into consideration the necessary precautions for our own protection. We were afraid he was going to escape."

"Well...your precautions will lead to all of your demotions when Hokage-sama finishes business here, I am almost certain of that. Until then, you are all relieved of your duties until further notice. You are dismissed." There were the sounds of the soft footfalls of the guards filing out of the room followed by the sound of the door clicking shut behind them.

I didn't know how much time had passed while I sat here, but it surely couldn't have been as much time as it felt like. The waiting was always the worst part and considering I couldn't barely move, I was about to lose my mind. In order to preoccupy myself, I tuned in to my surroundings to try mapping the place out by calculating the size of the room by the sounds emitted at different points, the number of people that surrounded me, I even attempted to read the atmosphere to try figuring out what was running through everyone's minds. No one seemed particularly excited like one would expect for an execution, but everyone was definitely tense including myself. For such a small room, many people came and went and I grew more anxious with each newcomer as I waited to feel that familiar spike of chakra to signify that Naruto had come.

After about an hour of doing this, I heard the click of the door opening once more and a few sets of feet shuffled in. I didn't feel any chakra signatures as most thought it best to mask their chakras, but as someone walked towards me their scent wafted directly at me and I tensed at the smell. Alhough I didn't have the keen nose of an Inuzuka, I could still make out that smell from miles away: a sweet, earthy musk that reminded me of rotting wood and moss deep in a forest with the slight touch of rain water caught in the air on a cool, spring night. The scent had always stuck with him because he always spent so much time outdoors, training tirelessly at the training grounds in the early morning, daydreaming on a hillside by day, and sleeping under the blanket of stars by night. Layered on top of that, though, was the biggest giveaway of all as the faint smell of beef ramen that lingered on his breath, a clear indicator of his lunch.

"Hokage-sama," a few guards said before I heard the faint rustling of clothes as they bowed in respect. My heart clenched painfully in my chest as Naruto came to a halt just a couple of feet before more, no doubt staring directly at me. He may have only been a few feet from me, but he still felt miles away. The anticipation of waiting for him to speak was nearly intolerable, but as he spoke it wasn't directed at me.

"Take off his blindfold," Naruto said in an authoritative voice that I had never heard him use before. Now that I thought about it, this was the first time I had heard him issue a formal order.

The tension in the room had tripled upon Naruto's arrival and the entire room fell into complete silence, not even the faint sound of movement could be heard; it was as if the entire world had frozen from Naruto's mere presence. After a long moment, a guard finally obliged to Naruto's order and pulled the sack off before quickly retreating to the back of the room once more. His movements had been so quick I barely had time to see his face before disappearing out of sight. Messy, spiked brown hair with a pair of darkened goggles and a jacket collar that hid half of his face from view, a standard look for most shinobi belonging to the Aburame clan. He was the Aburame member who had been in our graduating class with us at the academy, though I could never think of his first name.

It took a while for my eyes to adjust to the brightness of the room as I'd been used to the single, half burned-out bulb that hung just outside my cell which had been my only source of light for the last two weeks. When my vision returned to normal, I begun to look around the room but couldn't bring myself to look at Naruto directly. My calculations on the number of guards in the room had been off by a few and I felt it a little unecessary to have this amount in such a confined space; the more I thought about it, though, the more it made sense. If I were to make a move to attack Naruto, there would have been little room to miss and with the extra guards someone was bound to diffuse the attack before any harm was done. They would have been on me faster than flies on a were no windows in the room and the walls were made of pure white brick aside with the exception of a large mirror on one wall that I was almost certain was a two-way; I could only imagine who was behind the other side of the glass. The room looked pretty much like an interrogation room, but the conference table had been shoved against the wall with the mirror on it and a few rows of seats had been added. Aside from Naruto and myself, there were only two others who sat in the seats that I'd never seen before.

"Before we get started I would like for everyone to leave the room for the reasons of confidentiality," Naruto stated as he turned to stare at everyone. From the corner of my eye, I could see the guards looking at him as if he was had lost his mind and simply grew more erect in an act of defiance.

"I'm sorry, Hokage-sama, but that's not going to happen," the Aburame said, seemingly speaking for all of them.

"I did not ask a question," Naruto said sternly as he fought to control his temper. His words didn't affect the Aburame at all. "The first time I said it nicely. Do not make me repeat myself."

"You must forgive me, but we're not going to leave you unprotected, Naruto. I insist, at least let me stay with you."

Naruto fixed him with a hard glare. "Wait. Outside." Defeated, all the guards vacated the room in single file fashion, leaving only Naruto and myself in it.

The next time Naruto spoke, it was finally directed towards me. "Sasuke." The way the name rolled off his tongue it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

I stared at the front of the room, not daring to look at him. Truth was, I didn't know if I actually could without losing every bit of resolve I had.

"Look at me."

I closed my eyes tightly and managed to shake my head. "I'm sorry, but I cannot."

Naruto sighed heavily and walked up to me, getting right in my face. He stayed there for a time, making sure I felt his intense stare. Being so close to him, Naruto's scent had become almost as intoxicating as the drugs that coursed through my veins. I couldn't help but gulp anxiously. "Do you not realize the severity of this situation? This very moment will decide your fate, Sasuke. If you cannot comply, then I really can't help you."

I bit the inside of my jaw, trying to remain as stoic as possible. My self control was decreasing fast and I didn't know if I would actually be able to speak with Naruto without losing every ounce of resolve that I had. His last visit had left me in a more unstable state than I had already been in and it withered my heart even further; along with those thoughts on top of everything that had happened within the last hour was too overwhelming. "Please..." I said softly, my voice wavering slightly. With much difficulty, I managed to open my eyes and slowly looked up to meet Naruto's cerulean orbs.

Naruto released a gasp at how uncharacteristic I was being and took a few steps back in shock. I didn't know whether it was from the please or the desperation in my tone, but at least it had worked to some degree.

It took Naruto a long moment to recollect himself before speaking again. "I'm going to ask you some questions and you are going to answer them for me, Sasuke. I know you haven't spoken a word to anyone else, so it seems I'm the only one you will talk to; that is what leads me to be here today. If you do not comply, then...well, I think we both know what happens then." Although he was trying to keep a straight face I could see the fleeting fear in his eyes.

"I thought you didn't care," I said in a low voice. I wasn't purposely trying to be difficult with him, but the uncertainty of my own mind had to have some sort of reassurance that told me he didn't completely despise my very existence. Didn't the fact that he was standing here right now mean he did care to some degree? Or was this just another job at the office for him? I coudn't bring myself to believe that.

"Why do you say that?" Naruto asked, sounding legitimately taken aback.

"You made it clear long ago that you didn't care, anymore, so why put on the charade now?" I looked away from him. "You should just let them go ahead and kill me, Naruto. I don't want to waste any more of your time."

He grabbed me by the shirt collar and tugged on it harshly a few times. "Look at me, you bastard." I didn't do anything as he shook me; I didn't think I could even if I wanted to. Having no other choice, I took a deep breath and held it in before looking at him. "I have sacrificed more than you will ever know when I came looking for you. Blood, sweat, tears, pain, even my dreams; I risked it all to bring you back! I promised you I would, I promised Sakura, I promised myself. After two years of trying, I had to give up. Not because I wanted to; I did it for you! It was obvious you didn't want to come back, so I finally gave up on you to let you be. I suffered more than you will ever know by making that decision! Do you know how it affected me? I finally gave up because that's what you wanted and when I finally came to the realization that you were gone forever, you fucking come back. Why?" He slammed me harshly against the chair before taking a step back. By this point I couldn't find my voice to speak. It killed me to see Naruto so worked up and upset and I didn't know what to do to fix it. I closed my eyes and lowered my head, hoping to gain a little control from the break of contact to be able to speak.

"Even before our last encounter I had every intention to return after I killed my brother. The prospect of returning home was the only thing I could think about that gave me the motivation to come out on top and survive. The guilt I felt from lying to you for so many years ate me up inside but I said those things only to protect you. At the time I honestly felt you would have followed me to Hell if I had allowed you to go with me, so I had to cut our ties to prevent that from happening. If you were killed in the crossfire of my own battles, I wouldn't have forgiven myself.

"All the hatred I showed...it was all an act. I had to pretend to despise you and everyone else so you would stop pursuing me. After awhile it worked...then I regretted it when my plan worked out so well. It was something that had to be done, though, and I would have done it all over again if I had to. All those times I tried to 'kill' you, Naruto...I never had any true intentions of doing so. I don't think I could even if I had to. My opportunity was paved before me during our fight at the Valley of the End and I could have easily killed you then to instantly gain the power I needed to kill Itachi, which would have unlocked the Mangekeyo Sharingan. No amount of power was worth the sacrifice of losing you. My decision to spare your life that day gave me no choice but to leave the village to start a quest to quench my thirst for power, so I sought out Orochimaru. And once again, if I hadn't severed ties with you, then I felt you would have followed after me that day and I knew without a little push you wouldn't have stopped until you managed to drag me back home. It was the only way."

A long silence fell over the room as those words sank in. I couldn't believe I had actually told him that after so many years of keeping it bottled it up inside and now that it was out in the open I felt as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Also, I was relieved to be telling him because if I was going to be executed, then I wasn't going to die without Naruto knowing the truth; if he even believed me, that is. Whether or not he did was solely up to him but I knew the words I had spoken were true down to the last detail and for the first time I felt I could die with a clear conscience in knowing that he had at least heard an explanation. I would have given anything to know what he was thinking right now but didn't dare ask. With much difficulty, I finally looked at him to see he was staring off to the side, clearly deep in thought.

"Naruto...say something."

My voice seemed to shock him out of his stupor as he slowly looked over at me, boring a hole through my skull with his intense stare. Through the mask of bewilderment, he almost looked sad but I couldn't say for certain. "If what you say is true, then what were your reasons for attacking the Kages at the Kage Summit? And why did you plot to destroy the Konohagakure?

I closed my eyes in slight disappointment. It hadn't been a response I'd hoped for, but I understood he needed to keep a somewhat professional attitude given the situation. There was little doubt that there were others observing from just behind the mirrored window and Naruto needed to keep his emotions in check in front of prying eyes. He'd already struck out with one emotional outbreak or perhaps that had only been a ploy to get me to talk in the first place...either way it had worked. This was one topic I had hoped I didn't have to talk about because it was still a sensitive subject for me, but there was no way to avoid it. Naruto would be the second person I had ever told this to and deserved to hear the answer because I doubted the Elders would have told him. The first one I had told had been Danzo so I could have him confirm the facts and he did...right before I killed him.

"After Itachi died..." I had to stop to regain my composure. The implications leading up to my brother's death was difficult enough to think about, little on have to say them aloud to people who never even knew him and never gave a damn about him. My hands managed to fight through their numbness to form the tightest fists I could manage to stop them from trembling in anger and anguish. "One day someone told me a story that had been hidden away, and swept under the rug to never be brought to light again. This person spoke of the night Itachi slaughtered our entire clan." I attempted to swallow the lump in my throat, but it wouldn't go away despite my efforts. "Itachi hadn't been the cold-hearted bastard I was led to believe all this time...he had acted under the orders of the village elders to carry out the slaughter." Slowly, I looked up to glare past Naruto and at the mirrored wall, knowing that if anyone was here to see this trial carried out it would be the Elders. Of course, why wouldn't they? I was the only one that held them back from finishing what they started and would have liked nothing more than see me die. If only I could see through the mirror to see their expressions after having been called out for their deceit. I finally looked over at Naruto who looked shocked at the news; when I looked over at him, his expression quickly turned to anger with the flip of a switch.

His hands clenched into fists and I thought for a moment he wanted to punch me but refrained from doing so. "Do you really think I'm stupid enough to believe that?"

"Why not ask them yourself, then?" I raised an eyebrow, challenging. "I have no reason to lie to you about something like that, especially when it comes to disgracing my dead family's name."

I watched as Naruto's eyes darted to the mirrored wall for a split second and narrowed his eyes. Now I was almost certain the Elders were in that room watching the events unfold. Now that I knew they were watching and listening to every word I said, I was willing to bet the clothes off my back that they were losing their minds right about now. No doubt would Naruto go in there and question them after this, but whether they would confess to their own crimes was unknown. Was it too much to hope for that Naruto would kill them himself...?

"I'll go along with your story, for now." He started to pace the room, a troubled expression etched on his features. "Hypothetically speaking...if the Elders did order that attack on the Uchiha clan...what was their motive for doing so?" He wouldn't even look at me as he continued pacing the room.

"Because they believed they were the ones to unleash the Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki upon the village since the demon could only be controlled by a powerful Sharingan user. They were also afraid of the Uchiha's rise to power and caught wind of rumors that the Uchiha clan was plotting to take over the village." I closed my eyes before continuing.

"In order to get facts on the issue, they planted a spy into the compound to gather Intel on the coup de'tat. The spy they had chosen was Itachi Uchiha. My father, Fugaku Uchiha, was the head conspirator in the uprising and my brother attempted to speak reason with him, but he refused to do so. Once Itachi reported his findings to the Elders...they ordered the destruction of the entire clan." When I was finished with the story, only then did I realize the few tears that had scarred paths down my cheeks, but I couldn't wipe them away because of the restraints.

When I opened my eyes to look at Naruto I noticed he had stopped pacing and was staring directly at me. I could see it in his eyes that he believed me and that fact alone made me want to outright sob with relief. His face was glazed over in surprise and sympathy that I hadn't expected to see and I was left stunned. Despite the face of resentment he showed on that first day, I could tell from this moment that he still cared about me.

He started to say something but stopped himself short. Whatever was on the tip of his tongue, he looked pained to ask but with another quick glance at the mirrored wall, he seemed to realize that he had to ask. "If what you say is true and Uchiha Itachi was ordered to end the Uchiha bloodline, then why...why did he spare your life?"

That was one of the last questions I had expected to be asked at the moment and I was left completely dumbfounded. I was almost certain my heart had stopped beating as I pondered on the question. That same question had plagued me in the past for so long but I always pushed it to the back of my mind and locked it safely inside the darkest depths of my thoughts to forget about it. Now that door had been thrown open and it came flooding out once more. This was the part where I started hating myself all over again.

"Because..." My voice was barely a whisper as my lower lip began to tremble. "He loved me." Once the words were out, I could feel myself losing control. I hated showing such weakness, especially under the scrutiny of my my best friend and rival but I couldn't stop the flood gates even if I wanted to. My head lowered to try shrouding my tears with my hair as they cascaded freely down my cheeks. It was the only thing I could do to hide them from the world.

Time seemed to freeze as all perception of time became lost to me. For awhile I had even forgotten where I was and the fact that there were people in the room with me who were watching every move I made, judging me cruelly for having poured my heart out in my moment of vulnerability. I could only recall ever crying just twice in my life ...when I came home late from the academy to find my entire family slaughtered and the day I watched my brother die before my eyes. Never had I showed such weakness in front of anyone before, but I couldn't stop even as my subconscious yelled at me to do so. I was so lost in my thoughts when someone put a hand on my shoulder that I nearly jumped out of my seat; I was startled even more when someone put their forehead on the top of my head. When I opened my eyes I could just barely make out Naruto's cloak tail through the veil of hair and tears. As quickly as they had come, the tears stopped flowing in my astonishment. Time became nonexistent; we could have been there for mere seconds or an entire lifetime and I wouldn't have known the difference.

"I believe you...Sasuke." He said it so softly, I almost believed I imagined the words.

"Thank you," I said, breathlessly. This was all I could manage to say at the time. To my dismay, Naruto finally released his hold and took a few steps back. A short silence fell over us as he waited for my emotions to level out and I was silently grateful for the reprieve.

"Why didn't you just come home?" Naruto asked softly. "I could have worked all of this out...we could have worked it out together. You didn't have to hold this burden by yourself. And you wouldn't have to have any of these charges looming over your head right now."

"Like I said, I couldn't allow you to get hurt while fighting my own battles." I slowly looked up at him. "Also, you said that you would forget about me. Without you driving me to come back I wasn't certain if you wanted me to return at all...I had no emotional attachments to bring me back." I could tell Naruto was trying to hold back some tears of his own, but at least he was remaining stronger than I thought he would through this whole process. He really had grown in my absence.

"...why did you want to die?" I had the feeling he already knew the answer to this, but he apparently wanted to hear his suspicions confirmed.

I closed my eyes. "Because without you...I have nothing more." When I opened my eyes again I could see tears sparkling in his eyes as they threatened to fall.

Naruto completely seized up at this and stared, shock written all over his face. His mouth hung agape for awhile before realizing it and quickly snapped it shut. For a while we stayed in silence as we waited for Naruto to regain his own composure. After he did, he cleared his throat before once again beginning to pace the room.

"Do you honestly believe you should be put to death for your actions?"

"There are many of things I am not proud of doing. I've attacked and killed my own people and went rogue for eight years before turning myself in. My actions could have caused more casualties than there already has been and none should have died in the first place because of me. I ran away and fought alongside some of the most ruthless criminals the world has ever known. The punishment for a shinobi going rogue has serious consequences in itself, so with the other crimes I have committed along with it...I know I do not deserve to live."

Naruto sighed heavily and lowered his head as he rubbed his eyes tiredly. This had taken a lot out of us both already, but I felt this day was far from over. "If you happened to get a second chance...what would you do with it?"

I balled both my hands into fists behind my back tightly. My heart fluttered in my chest at the hope that blossomed there. If he realized just how cruel that sentence was I don't think he would have asked it. "May I ask you a question first?" Naruto nodded his head once. "With all the information I have given you so far, what do you think I would do with it?"

Naruto's brows furrowed in confusion at the question, but almost immediately had an answer as if he'd already known what he was going to say before I even asked. "I do not believe you are trying to deceive me and I don't think you would run away again. You have realized your mistakes and you want to make amends for them in any way that you see fit. I don't want to admit this, but I have to be honest with you as well." He sighed softly and turned to stare at me, a sad smile plastered on his features. "No matter what the verdict of the trial is...I believe it is going to have the same ending, anyways."

I stared at Naruto as he spoke, watching the changes in his expression to see if he really believed in what he was saying. He had never been a good liar and I could tell now he was being as honest as he'd always been. My heart constricted in my chest when he said the last part of his answer and I, too, smiled sadly at him. "I seek no desire to live with the sins I have committed. This all seems so pointless, because I feel my actions are unforgivable...especially the ones that include you." He inhaled deeply and slowly released the ragged breath. "I've had plenty of time to think about it and I cannot believe I am the one who put you through so much pain. I wouldn't hesitate to take it all back if I could, Naruto, but the past is in the past and there is no changing it. The only thing we can control now is our futures...and right now mine is looking pretty bleak."

Naruto suddenly backed away as if he was in a drunken stupor. As I stared at him I couldn't get a read on his thoughts, but he looked bewildered and a little lightheaded as if he might pass out. I had no idea what was going on and wanted to ask him, but Naruto started speaking before I had the chance to. "We're going to take a short intermission before continuing this conversation while you regain your thoughts, relax...or whatever it is that you do."

"Naruto..?" He didn't acknowledge I'd even spoken or hadn't heard me to begin with nor did he spare another glance in my direction as he quickly darted out of the room, looking as if he hadn't been able to get out fast enough.

I let out a heavy sigh and lowered my head once more, closing my eyes. This had been one of the longest days of my existence and it was barely past noon, yet it still felt like it should be nighttime already. Would I even live long enough to see a starry night sky again? To hear the absolute sounds of nothingness as the world fell into slumber during the cold, dark winter nights? To see the light of a full moon shimmering off the tops of the snow blanketing the ground and the ice-covered branches of the trees? To hear the gentle cascade of water flowing over rocks in a stream?

For a long time I had come to the acceptance of my impending fate but with the possibility of the end lingering so near, fear gripped at my heart in a vice grip. Death was a certainty, I knew this without a doubt, but the thought of what would happen to me after death was hard to come to terms with. After so many years of preparing for the moment, it was still hard to comprehend now that the time had come. And now that I had the opportunity to make amends with Naruto, I felt the time given wasn't long enough to conjure up a proper apology; all the time in the world wouldn't have been enough to express it.

' _ **It will have to suffice; there is no time for anything more. I just hope he can bring himself to forgive me...even if it is in death.**_ '

The drugs must have begun to wear off because with my moment of rest I realized just how exhausted I really was. With each passing moment, my eyes grew heavier and my thoughts became more muddled; the more I fought through the feeling it seemed to have the opposite effect on me. There wasn't going to be much of a trial after this intermission for I could feel myself falling rapidly into the world of darkness. It was rather strange and the irony somewhat funny...the last day of my life was going to pass me by being physically spent, emotionally drained, and under the influence of a sedative that was going to make me sleep away the last moments of my life before being thrown into the deep, eternal sleep. There was nothing more that could be done now, though...but wait.

 _ **Naruto**_

Sakura was already standing at door when I walked outside after having read my thoughts long before they even processed in my own mind. It was a little scary that she could read my intentions better than I could read my own at times, but that was the beauty in the comradeship of teammates. Sasuke and I used to share that same sixth sense, but now it was like I had never even known him to begin with. Just like she'd read my thoughts, I also knew what she was doing here, but even her super strength wasn't going to stop me from getting in that other room.

"Naruto-kun, before you do anything you may regret-"

"Get out of my way, Sakura. I do not want to accidentally hurt you," I said through clenched teeth as I tried passing her, but she stopped me dead in my tracks by planting two firm palms on my chest.

"Just listen to me for a minute, you idiot!" Sakura's tone startled me and I looked down at her wide emerald eyes. She'd gotten my attention and released a sigh of relief. "I know what you are going to do, but just remember to keep a level head. Your current actions in defending Sasuke are going to reflect back onto him as well."

I looked at the ceiling and shook my head in disbelief as I licked my dried lips. "If what Sasuke really said is true, then..." I didn't know how to continue the statement without going into a murderous rant, so I let the sentence linger.

Sakura shook her head before dropping her hands. "Right now isn't the best time to confront them about this issue. I'm not telling you what to do, because I trust your decision no matter what, but right now I think you should just focus on the outcome of the trial before throwing around accusations that you don't even know are the truth."

I fell silent into a bout of silence, knowing that she was right although I didn't want to admit it. "What have the Elders been saying in there?"

"Not much of anything, to be honest. I have done as you suggested and have given my honest evaluations on his mental state. I've relayed the information to the Elders but I'm not for certain they really listened. They have grunted in response to pretty much everything that has been said on all our parts. It's almost as if they've already made their decision." She bit her lip worriedly. "Naruto..."

"It's not going to happen, Sakura. We are going to save him."

"How..?"

I fell silent for a long time. "You have trusted me this far in life...right? You must trust me now."

She offered a soft smile. "I've always trusted you, you know that. It's the Elder's I don't trust."

I couldn't argue with that logic. "Do you have the notes?"

"They're in the back room. Come on."

Nothing more was said as we made our way towards the back room, which was the room on the other side of the double-sided mirror. As we stepped into the room I instantly looked towards Sasuke and noticed he had his eyes closed, his chest heaving gently with each breath; if I didn't know any better, I would say he was sound asleep. My heart constricted in my chest again at the sight. Although his eyes were closed I could still see his onyx orbs as clearly as if I was staring directly into them right now. From watching him sleeping just in this moment, I realized that if we failed to save him with this trial...that look was the last I was going to have to remember him by and those eyes were going to haunt me for the rest of my life.

The whispers between the Elders seized and the room fell deathly silent as I turned to stare at them. Although they were trying to act relaxed and calm, I could tell they were in a state of unease by their stiff postures.

"Koharu...Homura..." I bowed my head slightly in respect although I knew they didn't deserve it. Sasuke's words still rang in my head and despite the fact there was no proof he wasn't lying, deep down I felt that every word he'd spoken was the truth. The Elders had been the ones who tore Sasuke's existence apart and forced him to commit the crimes that had been pinned on his head. If it hadn't been for the two sitting before me, none of this would have ever happened and Sasuke would have had the chance to live as normal a life as anyone else in this village. He could have actually been happy. Now he was sitting in this room waiting for the orders of his execution to come through so he could take the fall for crimes the Elders had committed.

"Naruto." Another silence.

"Sakura, you have been keeping notes on Sasuke's...diagnosis. Is this correct?" I didn't dare take my eyes off the Elders so I could gauge their every reaction as she spoke.

Sakura grabbed her clipboard from a nearby table before flipping through a few pages. "That is correct. I was informed-"

"Cut the formalities," Homura interrupted, narrowing his eyes at us. "We have been here through the entire process and do not need to hear her repeating herself a second time. Get on with the point of this."

I had to literally bite my tongue to prevent snapping at him. "What is the verdict, Sakura-chan?"

"Early in the beginning I quickly realized that he has severe PTSD...post-traumatic stress disorder. This was noticeable within the first few minutes of the trial."

"As so does nearly half of the shinobi body that has ever been into combat," Koharu commented, looking as emotionless as ever. "It is merely part of the job description, a small sacrifice to the protection of this village and others throughout the lands. What makes Uchiha's situation any different or more significant that theirs?"

I glared at her but before I was able to say anything, Sakura started speaking again. "That may be so, Lady Koharu, but usually PTSD does not lead others to believe they must kill the last member of their family in order to achieve a sense of peace with themselves. He was driven by the madness and thought in his own mind that he had to extract his vengeance so he could let his family rest in peace."

Koharu huffed and fell silent at taht. I barely managed to keep a grin off my face at seeing her lose at her own game. It was too early on to celebrate, though.

"Anything else, Sakura?" I asked softly, taking my eyes off of the Elders to finally look at her.

"He also has a severe case of chronic depression and I'm almost certian he is suicidal."

"Do you have proof of that last claim, Haruno?" Homura asked.

"Not physical, but the again he hasn't had a medical examination since his return to say with certainty. Of course he has plenty of visible scars that aren't covered by his clothing, but there is no proof whether it is battle wounds or suicide attempts without a closer exam."

"So you have no proof at all." How I wanted to punch that smug look off his face...

"Actually, we do, in a sense." Sakura flipped a page in her notebook before looking over at me. "The fact that he admitted to coming here only to be executed and the comments he made to Naruto about feeling undeserving of anything less gives us plenty of proof of the diagnosis. This is enough evidence that can hold up to the law in both worlds of psychology and criminal justice, so legally he cannot be touched. If you do not believe me, then feel free to read into it yourself." To emphasize her point, she grabbed two booklets from the table and extended her hand to hand them over, but they ignored her. She settled with tossing them on the small table between their seats before taking a few steps back. I could see it in her eyes that she was getting choked up, but she still managed to stare at the Elders stoically and emotionless. I admired her for the strength I didn't possess in such times of high emotional stress and offered her a small smile to show her as much when she looked in my direction. "He wants to die because...because he feels he deserves it."

"Then let's enlighten him and give him what he wants," Homura said, smirking slightly. "He wants to die and he feels the need of closure for his crimes just like his reasoning behind his quest for revenge, just as you said, so let's give him what he wants." Koharu hummed in agreement, nodding her head.

Sakura let out a soft gasp and looked as if she was about to lose her resolve, no doubt feeling that her own words had hurt their cause, but I wasn't putting any blame towards her. A low growl formed in my throat as I glared fiercely at them while walking to stand by Sakura. "Do not twist her words around!"

"I am not, Uzumaki. I am merely stating what she has already provided."

I clenched my hands into tight fists, trying to keep the last few threads of restraint intact. "Listen here, you bag of wrinkles. From the moment you were informed of Uchiha Sasuke's capture you were already prepared to have him executed before the trial was even scheduled. You aren't giving him a fair trial because your answers are already set in your stubborn minds!"

"Naruto-"

"Be quiet, Sakura." I didn't mean to snap at her, but my nerves were already tethered before entering this room and I had zero tolerance for their bullshit right now. "I know you do not think he deserves a second chance, but I believe he would make a good asset to our village once again if given the opportunity."

"Ha! You really are a fool, Naruto. I knew we shouldn't have listened to Tsunade to appoint you as Hokage."

"Do not speak poorly of the deceased." I was really trying to keep a level head but it was proving difficult. In fact, their comment about Tsunade had only stoked the fire and I could feel the last wall of my resolve burning to the ground. "Sakura, I would like for you to leave this room." I didn't even have to look in her direction to know she was surprised and possibly a little hurt at the comment, but she didn't question it. From the corner of my eye I saw her take a small bow before walking off, shutting the door behind her. The Elders grew a bit at unease at her departure and I couldn't help feeling a little satisfied at their reaction.

After taking a deep breath I continued once more. "This has nothing to do with past decisions of others nor does it have anything to do with me and my capabilities of being Hokage. This is about the man sitting in that room right now and his future. Despite what you may think of your own decisions, I am here to uphold the law and make sure justice is properly administered. This has nothing to do with personal decisions and I'll be damned if I let you sit there and throw a man's life away because it saves your own asses!"

Their eyes seemed to bulge out of their skulls from shock. "I beg your pardon?! That sounded like an accusation to me," Homura said, glaring fiercely. The atmosphere was so thick, one would probably have to swim to the door just to get out.

A smirk found its way to my face and held nothing but malice. "You heard me. The only reason you want to have him taken out as quickly as possible is because you are afraid. Afraid that, like Shimura Danzo, he is going to come to dispose of you next."

Homura and Koharu stood up simultaneously, Homura knocking his chair over as he pointed a crooked finger in my direction, completely outraged. "Are you threatening us, _boy?"_

"Not at all, just a simple evaluation on my part. I believe you are frightened of the Uchiha more than you are letting on. No other captured high-valued target has been given as much scrutiny as you two have given Sasuke and I think it is because you are afraid. You did not hesitate to order the immediate execution of him the very moment you found out of his capture. My question is, why?" I crossed my arms over my chest as I stared directly into Homura's eyes.

"How dare you to stand there questioning us in this manner! Have you forgotten who you work for? The people who appointed you Hokage in the first place? We can take your title away just as quickly as it was given!"

"You're afraid because what he said in that courtroom is true...isn't it?" I could tell my eyes had turned red because I could feel my canines growing longer as I felt the pinch in my gums and my cheeks felt singed as the scars on my cheeks grew more intensified. When I took a step forward, they took a step back.

"Keep yourself in check, Uzumaki!" Koharu snapped, though I could see the fear alight in her eyes.

"I am completely in control of myself, Koharu," I said in a slightly deeper tone. "Just a little more emphasis on my argument, if you will. Now answer my question."

"Or what? You won't do anything to us, boy." Even as Homura said it, I could hear the uncertainty in his tone.

"If you do not answer me truthfully, then I will take the case to the public and stand the two of you on trial as well. The villagers will be the leading decisions to your fates."

"You wouldn't dare!"

I stared him dead in the eye as I took a few steps in his direction. This time he didn't step back and I didn't stop until there were only inches separating us. "Try me."

A long silence fell over the room, the tension raising a few octaves higher. Never had I challenged someone in this fashion before and to be honest I was a little worried of the repercussions of my actions. I didn't have much time to think of this plan thoroughly and I was taking one step at a time by this point. A few minutes ago I didn't even know I was going to say anything at all about their potential part in all of this, but their callous attitudes had made me snap. How could someone have such emotionless demeanors towards the fate of someone's life like that?

"You are so naive, Naruto Uzumaki," Koharu said, shaking her head. "For someone holding one of the highest titles in the village, you still have so much to learn."

"If you are to be a successful leader of the Leaf Village, you will have to learn the art of sacrifice."

Those words made me feel like I might throw up. "What are you saying?"

"You wanted to hear that we ordered the assassination of the Uchiha clan, right?" Homura said, crossing his arms. "We only did what was best for the entire village."

I gnashed my teeth together so hard I thought I heard one of them crack under the pressure. "I want an explanation," I said softly. If I said it any louder I thought my voice might waver from my rising anger but I kept my composure, hanging on to it just barely. I didn't think the forward approach was actually working and now I kind of wished it hadn't. This was definitely dangerous waters I was treading, blackmailing them in this fashion, but it was the only way they would have given me the information I needed.

"Do you know who unleashed the power of the Nine-Tailed Demon into the village?" There was a short pause before Homura huffed. "I am surprised of your lack of knowledge of the beast that lives inside you."

"Just answer me!"

"An Uchiha; they are the only ones who can control the beast. They were plotting a coup de'tat against the village and they were the ones who attempted to destroy it. They were growing too audacious-too conceited. They planned on overthrowing the village and we had to do something to stop it. So we sent Itachi as the double agent and to complete the job."

I bit back the bile I felt rising in my throat but it proved to be difficult. I ran my hand through my hair, disheveling it even more. "I can't believe it's true. I cannot...I cannot believe you could do something so vile and disgusting to the people you have vowed to protect!"

"Sometimes you are dealt a difficult decision and you have to enact on it by thinking of the better solution despite how appalling it may seem! If you do not understand that, then I do not believe you are fit to be Hokage."

"I understand that fact perfectly...but that method doesn't include killing off an entire clan because a couple of old people want to take the easier way out!"

"Hold your tongue!" Koharu snapped, joining in the conversation for the first time since the topic had been brought up.

"I will leave you alone and let you be, but first we have one more topic of business to discuss." I paused to make sure I still had their attention; I took it as a good sign when they continued staring at me like a couple of fish that had washed ashore and were begging for air. "You will allow me to order the annulment of Sasuke's punishment and have him released from prison immediately."

"You are crazy," Homura snapped. "And here we are, back to square one. Personal feelings over the need to do what needs to be done."

"Are you kidding me? You've destroyed his entire life! You took away his entire family! There is one Uchiha left; that is hardly enough to cause the overthrow of an entire village."

"One of the most powerful Uchiha's since Madara himself. And one with outside connections to Akatsuki and other dangerous criminals."

This was true although I didn't want to admit it. "I will make a deal with you, then." I paused for a moment, not sure if I was so willing to make this agreement, but I felt like a wild animal cornered and hadn't no other choice in the matter. And if this was the only way I could convince them to release Sasuke, then it would be worth it. Talk about a difficult sacrifice for the greater good... "Allow Sasuke to be freed and I will take him under my own wing and keep an eye on him myself. I know him more than anyone else does and I can easily detect the first moment of deception in him. You're worrying for nothing, though, and I am willing to put my title of Hokage on the line to prove as much to you."

"You will be putting more on the line than that, Uzumaki. You will be putting your life in the hands of a man who has proven countless times before of showing no remorse for his teammates, friends, even his own brother."

That last one was a deliberate slap to the face but I didn't voice my opinions on the matter; it would only fuel the fire they were trying to keep going. "Give me the chance to prove you wrong. Give him the benefit of the doubt and let him prove it to you himself. If anything happens...then I will put myself on the pedestal alongside him in execution."

This last one shocked them into silence and I even surprised myself; the words were out of my mouth before I even had time to process them. It was only a proper arrangement, though, considering I would have been the one to allow such an endangerment to be released into the village again. I didn't like those implications at all, especially considering I was putting so much on the line myself including my own life. But I couldn't risk losing Sasuke...not again. There was little doubt in my mind that he would try harming the village again, but there was still a part of me that was hesitant to surrender every part of my faith in his abilities. He was an Uchiha, after all, and one of the biggest bastards I'd ever known despite how much he has changed.

' _ **You will not let me down again...I know you won't. If I didn't have faith in you, then I wouldn't have just placed my entire life in your hands...Sasuke.'**_

"You would risk everything for him?" Koharu asked, incredulous. "You are the biggest fool of all, then. I don't even know if you are deserving to run this village after today's show you've put on..."

"...but we will allow the Uchiha one chance under the guidelines that you've just provided," Homura added. My heart swelled twice it's size upon hearing this and I barely restrained from jumping up and down. "He will have guards 24/7, no exceptions...and he will stay underneath your watchful eye at all times so if he acts out, you will be the first to know and the first to correct the situation. I assume you will have the balls to do what needs to be done in the case that you are wrong about him."

I nodded my head. "I understand. If he shows any signs of aggression or suspicious activity...I will not hesitate to kill him myself."

"See to it that you do." I watched as the two walked towards the door, but before stepping out, Homura turned to look at me. "And one more thing...if you blackmail us again, I promise we will find a new Hokage. Unlike you...we have the means to make difficult decisions without batting a brow. And if anything ever leaves this room about the Uchiha's...we will hunt you down like a dog and everyone that knows without hesitation."

"Wouldn't have it any other way." And with that, they walked out the door, gently shutting the door behind them.

My legs suddenly gave out underneath me and I fell to the floor, falling flat on my back before staring at the ceiling. For a moment I closed my eyes, though it didn't stop tears from cascading down my cheeks. Despite the high tensions, anger, resentment, and burdens that lingered over my head like storm clouds, I was happy. Above everything that had just happened within the last half hour, I was able to outsmart the Elders and won at their own game. It wasn't the smartest thing to do - in fact it was the stupidest thing I'd ever done - but it had worked in the end and I couldn't be more happier. There was no doubt in my mind that it wouldn't come around to bite me in the ass later on, but for the moment I was riding on the victory of my idiocy.

I didn't even hear the soft rapping of knuckles on the door, but I did hear a hesitant voice call from the cracked doorway. "Naruto?"

"Come in, Sakura-chan." I quickly wiped the tears from my face before she could notice I'd been crying, but she wasn't stupid. Quickly, I jumped to my feet and stared over at her, grinning.

"Why are you lying in the floor? Are you okay?" Her face was etched in worry and I couldn't help but chuckle because it seemed so unnecessary now. Now that we had won the battle, it seemed like a waste of all the worry we put ourselves through. "What did you do?"

"We did it, Sakura-chan. We won." I walked over to her and gave her a tight hug. The clipboard was still clasped in her hands and it was pinned awkwardly between us, the clip biting into my chest but I didn't care.

"What do you mean?" When I pulled back to stare at her, she still looked confused as if she was afraid to admit the hopeful conclusion she'd drawn out on her own.

"I won't get into the details of it right now, because I still have a lot that needs to be done. Just know...Sasuke is a free man."

Her eyes widened. "H-How?"

"I'm sorry, but I must go for now. I promise we'll talk about this in detail later, okay? For now, though...I have to get back to work. Plenty of paperwork, preparing quarters for Sasuke, appointing a guard schedule for Sasuke..." I gave her one last hug before walking out of the room.

"Naruto, we still need to talk."

"Later, I promise. If you'd like, you can come with me to deliver the final verdict." I didn't wait to see if she followed but I knew that she was. She'd been anticipating this moment just as much as I had.

As I walked inside, I motioned for all the guards to leave the room once more and walked over to Sasuke. When we approached, he didn't even budge.

"Sasuke..." I said softly, trying to get him to look at us. As I waited for him to say something, I noticed the slow rise and fall of his chest; he was asleep or passed out from the drugs. A smile slowly crept on my face. Today had been a long day for everyone, but it wasn't quite over yet. I softly nudged him on the arm, which caused him to spring his head up in alert and looked around the room before settling his eyes on me.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your beauty sleep, but I have come to inform you that your court hearing is complete. We will be leaving soon, Sasuke." There was a short silence that fell over the entire room as the gears in Sasuke's groggy mind begun to turn once again.

"How long?" Sasuke asked softly. He closed his eyes and lowered his head.

I was taken aback by his actions, not quite understanding what he'd meant at first. "In just a few minutes, I will have everything prepared so we can go. Don't go back to sleep, pkay? You can sleep when we get there."

He nodded his head and lifted his head a little more. I could tell he was still groggy, but for someone who was just deemed a free man he definitely took it in stride... "I will sleep for a long time...won't I?" He sounded so tired.

It finally donned on me what he had meant and it caused my heart to wring painfully in my chest. I was kicking myself in the ass for leading him on like that, though I honestly hadn't meant for it to happen. "What do you think is happening right now, Sasuke?"

Sasuke lifted his gaze to stare me in the eye, looking a little tense. "You do not have to play games with me, dobe. I just want to know how much time I have before you take me for my *harakiri." The now visible pain in Sasuke's expression was difficult to look at and I hated myself for placing that look on his face to begin with. That look told me one thing, though...he wasn't as willing to die as he previously let on.

I slowly walked over to him and bent down until we were at eye level. For the longest we stared one another in the eye and I couldn't help but smile. "We are going home, Sasuke. You're free."

At first my words didn't seem to register in his mind but as the fog cleared, his eyes slowly widened. "W-What? You've got to be joking?"

"I would never joke about something like that. We are going home, buddy."

"But...why? Why would you save me?"

I smiled at him once more and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Do you really think I would sit by and let you die? I said I would save you and bring you home all those years ago. I may be eight years late on delivering that promise, but here we are. Even if I wanted to, I don't think I would ever be able to give up on you."

Not many things caught me by surprise, but words couldn't express how shocked I was when he leaned forward and pressed his forehead against my shoulder. He stayed that way for a long time and I didn't dare to move so I didn't break the moment. This was one of the first times Sasuke ever showed any type of affections towards me and I was glad to be sharing this moment together. "Thank you...Naruto. I promise that somehow I will find a way make all of this up to you."

I was even more surprised at the apology than I was when I'd first heard of his return and when I looked over at Sakura, she looked just as shocked as I felt. It wasn't everyday someone heard an Uchiha apologize, especially not this one. That was another indicator that Sasuke had changed and it actually gave me a brighter outlook towards his future.

"Sakura, tell the guards to come inside. I'll need them to help escort Sasuke out of here. There may be an uproar with the villagers as we pass through the streets, so be prepared. Also inform them of what is going on so they aren't left completely blindsided. I don't want them to treat him like a prisoner anymore, but more like his protection." I looked over at Sasuke in sympathy. This wasn't going to be easy and I hadn't expected it to be. I just hoped the villagers would learn to live with the fact that Sasuke was now free to live his life again and I hoped there wasn't going to be too much backlash, for his sake.

"Of course. Just give me a minute to relay your message." Once Sakura left the room, I looked back over at Sasuke, who was just staring at me like a science experiment gone wrong. "What?"

He waited a moment before answering. "I'm trying to figure all of this out. I fail to understand how you were able to convince the Elders to allow me to live. It doesn't make sense...none of this does."

"Is it really that difficult to just accept that you are still alive with freedom just on the other side of this wall?"

"Yes, it really is." There was a short pause.

"You really didn't expect to live past this day, did you?"

"I have spent many years mentally preparing myself for the moment and I hadn't ever expected a different outcome. Now that there is...I feel as lost as I did when I first killed Itachi." He swallowed hard and turned his head away just as the door opened, the guards piling into the room with Sakura in tow. The guards that Sakura had selected consisted only of those that I knew I could trust. Shino Aburame was still among them along with a friend I hadn't seen in awhile, Shikamaru Nara. It made me wonder where Kiba had run off to but it didn't matter much at this point.

"Undo his restraints and be prepared to leave in one." I looked over at Sakura and offered her a small smile. "I know you must have a lot of paperwork to fill out on your own, so I will see you later, alright? I'll send one of my guards later with a message for a time to meet."

She nodded her head and smiled back at me. In the past she didn't take too kindly taking orders from her Hokage, considering that person was me and usually got angry when I did so, but with the current situation she seemed to understand the need for authority and didn't bother to question it; she was probably riding on her own high of victory, anyways, and didn't care either way. "I'll see you later, Naruto-kun. And by the way...welcome back, Sasuke." With that, she left.

This was the first time she'd spoken directly to Sasuke and I looked from the corner of my eye to gauge his reaction. He looked up at her, looking a little surprised as if he'd expected her to say 'fuck off' or something along those lines. It was depressing to think that for all these years he'd been dwelling on these things and allowed them to consume him. I never thought it possible for Sasuke to succumb to this state considering how much of a conceited ass he always was in the past. If anyone believed that people lacked the ability to change, then Sasuke would have proved them wrong.

Once Shino had undone the restraints, I walked over to Sasuke and offered him my hand. For a moment he just stared at it as if it was some sort of trap.

"Don't worry...I'm not going to bite. I've already ate." He then looked at my grinning face before finally taking my hand and stood up. The drugs had worn off for the most part, but he was still a bit weakened by them and to steady him I wrapped my arm under his armpit and held onto his other side. "Let's go home...Sasuke."

On the way there I studied the reactions of everyone we passed. Most didn't seem to have much of a reaction at all while others merely wore shocked expressions as they stared onward at Sasuke; none dared to comment on it. A few individuals openly showed their discontent and hatred upon seeing him as a few dared to make an advance on him, but the guards quickly stopped their approach before they got too close. I didn't have them arrested, though, and only gave them a firm warning because this was to be expected especially considering that yesterday he had been the most wanted man in all the lands.

When we finally got to my home, we walked inside and the first thing I did was get Sasuke something to eat. At first Sasuke refused to eat but after a little...encouragement, he eventually complied. In other words, I had told him I would shovel it in his mouth like a baby if he forced me to intervene. After making the suggestion, I had never seen anyone pick anything up so fast in my life as he did those chopsticks.

After we finished eating, I took him up to my personal bath house to rid him of the last grains of grime that served as sore reminders of the grim past few weeks we'd both had to endure; my nose didn't mind it much, either. Back at the jail they only allowed him to bathe every three days due to the risks it involved, so he wasn't that great of a sight to see. At least with this command he didn't seem to mind and did so without word. When he was finished, I told one guard to go get him some clothes and had them brought back for Sasuke to put on. After a hot bath, a good shave, a clean pair of blue silk pajamas and a white bath robe, he actually looked like a human being again.

It had been a long day for us both and I knew he was in need of a good night of rest, so I finally took him to the room beside my own quarters that would serve as his own permanent bedroom. The decorations and furniture were quite ordinary and it made me think that this was what I always imagined Sasuke's bedroom looking like when we were younger. Aside from the traditional sleeping mat shoved in one corner of the room, though, there was a large bed in the middle of the room along with a dresser on one wall and a large bathroom on the other side of the room that was separated by a large shoji wall. There was also a small desk tucked away under the large window that overlooked the eastern side of the village; the window was a great alarm clock as it shined directly onto the bed every morning as soon as the sun peaked over the horizon; it was truly great for heavy, late sleeper such as myself and I couldn't stand it on my days off.

"If you would like I can have some people come in tomorrow and have them make your living quarters a little more personalized," I looked over to watch as he took everything in. The old Sasuke would have taken a quick glance and would have noted everything in that single moment, but now he took his time to marvel at his surroundings. After all, there was quite the difference between this room and the cell he was used to.

"This is okay. I do not need anything more," Sasuke said before finally looking at me. "You've given me more than I deserve already."

I groaned. "Would you stop saying that? Sure, you may not deserve it but I have provided you with it, anyways. You can wonder to yourself why I have done it and you can conjure up as many reasons as you want, but wouldn't it be easier to just accept it for what it is? If you'd done that a long time ago, then we could have prevented a lot of this from happening in the first place."

"If I had went with the flow, then I never would have found out the truth behind my family's murder and I'd be living inside the husk of my old clan's compound with the ghosts of my past haunting me."

"Or maybe your brother would have come to tell you the truth himself so the two of you could have continued living out the rest of your lives together. Who knows? You could have already been married by this point with your own children to love as your parents had loved you. You could have watched them grow and helped them become as good a shinobi as you were if not greater. If you'd accepted what is, then you could have a completely different outcome laid out before you."

He swallowed hard from the harsh reality I just slapped him with and turned to look out the window. I had expected him to get angry at me for I wanted to see a little spark of his former self alight in his eyes, but he only looked more depressed than he already was. I sighed softly, now feeling ashamed of myself. It was hard to remember that this wasn't the same Sasuke I used to carelessly banter with during training. "Hey, I'm sorry..."

"You are right, Naruto," he said, barely above a whisper. "I could have possibly had the happy-ever-after you speak of, but you cannot change the past so there is no point in dwelling on it. But there is one thing I wouldn't have done in your fantasy."

"And what is that?"

He finally looked at me and stared me in the eye. "I would not have ever had children...even if I wanted to. I would not put the burden of being an Uchiha on anyone else. I wouldn't want them to live under the same scrutiny and hatred that has been cursed into this family." A long silence fell over us, one that I didn't feel comfortable enough to break. I watched as Sasuke walked over to his bed and ran his hand over a crease in the sheets absentmindedly before sitting down. "If you do not mind, I would like to get to sleep now."

"Of course," I said softly, my voice a little raspy from where my mouth had gone dry. We shared one quick glance at one another before I turned around and made my way towards the door. Before walking out, I paused at the door, keeping my back towards him. "Despite how lowly you may think of yourself and your family name...I am damn proud to have an Uchiha as my best friend." With that, I gently shut the door behind me.

* * *

* **"Harakiri"** (abdomen/belly cutting") or **"Seppuku"** (cutting [the]abdomen/belly): A form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. Part of the bushido honor code and was used either voluntarily to prevent capture from enemies, as a form of capital punishment for those who committed serious offenses, or had brought shame to oneself. Traditionally, a tanto is used for the cutting and the ceremony is usually performed in front of spectators.

Oh...my god. The first half of this chapter may suck horribly...I apologize. I was writing so awesomely and sat my laptop down for the briefest of moments and here comes my dog, Misa, prancing over and walks across the keyboard...and exits off the page without saving it. -_- SO...I had to rewrite everything... *sigh* Anyways, I hope you enjoyed yet another chapter. Next one should be up by the end of the week...hopefully. Donadagohvi ..\/,


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

 _ **Sasuke**_

The next morning I awoke to the sun shining brightly through the window, bathing the entirety of the room in its golden light. After being locked away in a dark cell for nearly a month, the intensity was so overwhelming to my sensitive vision that I had to throw a blanket over my head to give my eyes time to adjust. As I waited, I slowly came to the realization that I didn't know where I was and the previous day's events were lost on me in my groggy mind. With a start I tossed the blanket away from my body and sat up quickly to look around; this definitely wasn't the cell I was accustomed to. Nothing looked familiar to me as I took in my surroundings and as I searched for clues to my whereabouts, only one word rang in my head as brightly as the piercing sun: free.

That was right. Naruto had managed to do the impossible and pulled me away from Death's grasp just as He was about to envelope me in His embrace. I was a free man all because of a certain blond dobe who never knew when to give up. How had he stopped the inevitability of my fate? I couldn't conjure up the answers despite my efforts. The longer I sat there staring at the tall bed posts at the foot of the bed, the more the fog in my mind lifted and allowed me to think more properly. The Elders had most definitely been in the back room during the trial and there was no doubt in my mind they wanted me dead in order to silence the truth; they had wanted that wish granted ever since the night Itachi murdered everyone, but once the deed was over there really was no point to kill such an unimportant child. I had been a naive kid who didn't know anything of the events to take place, so I wasn't an immediate threat to them, a mere mosquito buzzing annoyingly around their heads. Now in my older age I felt as if they'd been waiting to find their most perfect opportune moment to strike me down; when that day came, though, something had stopped them...or rather someone. And I wanted to know just how he'd accomplished it.

 _ **'If you get tangled up in my mess somehow, I will never forgive you, you idiot.'**_

"It's about time you woke up Uchiha," a voice said from the doorway, startling me once more. I hadn't even felt the chakra presence of the two standing just outside the room and I grew angry at myself for not having my guard up like I should. Even though I was in the safety of Naruto's home, old habits died hard especially when it came to survival. While I stared at them warily, the one who had spoken held his hands up in mock surrender.

"Woah, easy there, alright? We have orders from the Hokage himself to keep an eye on you and escort you to his office when you woke up."

Once I studied their faces more clearly, I finally recognized who they were. Shino was stanidng stock still, simply observing the scene in silence and the other smelled like a wet dog, so it didn't take long to realize the other one must have been his old teammate, the Inuzuka. After peeling away the scraggly beard and trimming away the shaggy hair, I could just make out who exactly it was.

I pulled myself out of bed and took a few steps towards them. "Kiba, is that really you?" My eyes widened slightly at the realization.

He grinned at me and scratched the back of his neck. "Well, I'll be damned. The Uchiha doesn't forget unimportant faces after all."

"I guess you made a bigger impression than you thought," I muttered. In all honesty it was difficult to forget him considering he and Naruto practically shared the same personality and were more or less the same person; I had to give kudos to Naruto, though...he did smell a bit better. The beard was a little off-putting and made Kiba look more like a mountain man rather than a shinobi in my opinion.

"Kiba, remember you're on duty," Shino muttered through the fabric of his jacket. He was standing at attention with hands in his pockets, not having moved a muscle since entering the room. Even though he was wearing the sunglasses, I knew he was staring right at me watching every move I made. If I remembered his abilities clear enough, he probably had bugs hidden all throughout the room as well, watching even as I slept. The realization didn't really bother me as much as it should have since I was used to the Aburame clan's bugs crawling around every corner and crevice of the prison.

"Hey, I'm not doing anything! I'm just informing him of the facts," Kiba pouted and turned his face away from Shino. He may look grown up, but mentally he was still a child.

"What time is it?" I asked quickly in an attempt to change the subject and prevent an argument between the two. It was much too early to be handling something of this caliber. Just yesterday I was lying half-way in my death bed and to wake up today to such benign banter, it was just too surreal. It was so normal it didn't even seem to fit in the life I knew and I didn't know how to deal with it properly.

"It's almost noon," Shino said. "Hurry and get presentable. Naruto took the liberty to gather some clothes for you and brought them up this morning before his departure. After you dress and eat breakfast we have been ordered to escort you to Naruto-sama's office. He has also instructed us that we can use force if necessary if you fail to comply to any of these orders."

"Fail to comply getting dressed?" I raised an eyebrow.

He sighed softly and held out a folded piece of paper. "Just read this and save us the trouble of repeating it." Without wasting time I unfolded it and began to read. The note itself looked as if a child had written it and there was no doubt in my mind that it was Naruto's handwriting; a doctor would have been proud of the chicken scratches. I couldn't help smirking despite myself as I tried deciphering the code of his illegible writing. It took a while to decode, but the gist was understood for the most part.

' _ **First off I feel I should say that I'm trusting you not to do anything stupid...not that I don't trust you because I do! Secondly I figured it would be best if I let you sleep in a while longer for the simple fact that I didn't know if you'd try pummeling me for waking you from your much needed sleep, so I chose the safer approach. I have ordered the guards to escort you to my office as soon as you get ready and eat breakfast. Just tell the maid in the kitchen what you would like to eat and she will kindly fix it for you. I'll be waiting.**_

 _ **-Naruto**_

 _ **PS: I did you a favor so throw me a bone here. You better eat! You're in no condition to go around starving yourself so it'd be best to do it willingly. I have also given orders to your guards to shovel it down your throat if they have to.**_

 _ **PSS: I took the liberty of sending someone to do your clothes shopping for you so you won't have to wear those hideous jail uniforms anymore.(The clothes are in your closet and dresser.)**_

 _ **PSSS: Do you know how hard it is sneaking around your ass without making a sound? I hope your beauty rest was worth my broken toe and muffled cries of agonizing pain! I forgive you, though I'm still sending my medical bill your way.'**_

I folded it once more after managing to read the chicken scratch to the end and tossed it onto the bed. Without uttering a word more, I made my way over to the closet and sifted through the clothes, looking for something that suited me. They had definitely went beyond the call of duty in giving me a wardrobe, that was for certain. There was a wide variety of clothes to pick from, all of them being either a shade blue, black, or white. Half of these clothes would never be worn considering they were too flashy for my liking and I hoped they were taken back just so they didn't go to waste. After looking through everything I decided on a simple grey long-sleeve shirt and a pair of black sweatpants; the sleeves of the shirt were a bit too long for me, but I liked it so I could wring my cold fingers into the fabric. The sweatpants fit almost too snugly and hung low on my hips, but they looked like the warmest article of clothing in there. After grabbing some under garments from the dresser, I turned to look at Kiba and Shino.

"Are you going to watch me change as well or am I allowed at least that bit of privacy?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at them. I knew I deserved to be watched like a hawk, so I wouldn't have been surprised if given a protest.

"I think I'll take my chances," Kiba sad, scowling as he turned away.

It didn't take long for me to get ready and freshen up in the bathroom. I was tempted to take a shower because I had been deprived of them for so long but decided against it at the last minute. There was no telling how long I had already delayed my meeting with Naruto and I did not want to upset him by making him wait longer than necessary. After throwing my clothes in a pile haphazardly by the bathroom's exit, I met up once more with Shino and Kiba who were standing on the opposite side of the shoji wall.

"Shall we go now?" I stuffed my hands into my pockets.

Kiba walked out the door first and I waited for Shino to follow him, but he motioned me on so he could take up the rear. I didn't blame them or Naruto in the slightest for the extra precautions, but they were unecessary because I had no plans to deceive Naruto or these guys. Naruto truly had saved my life and I wasn't going to let him down...not this time. There was a lot of making up to do and complying to the orders of these two was only skimming the surface of what I owed.

My eyes scanned our surroundings as I followed after Kiba, taking in every detail that my mind could process at one time and I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. Never before have I stayed in such an immaculate place like this and I felt out of place being here; my mere presence was nothing more than a stain tainting the walls. I was definitely out of my element here as I was used to dark caves and underground hideouts with the shadows to shroud me, allowing me to blend in as one with them and become invisible to the world; there was no chance to hide, anymore, and I felt too exposed for comfort. The fact that I didn't know anything about this place along with my lack of knowledge of the exits was making me feel trapped as well. One of the first lessons taught to any shinobi is to always take in one's surroundings when entering a new location to map out every escape route possible for safety reasons, but last night my mind was in such a daze I hadn't thought of anything of the sort and merely followed Naruto's lead like a lost puppy.

As we walked down the large spiral staircase to the main level of the house, my eyes caught sight of the decorations hanging on the walls and it stopped me dead in my tracks at the bottom of the stairs. Every wall was elegantly decorated with paintings of beautiful landmarks from around the village along with important people like the kages from allied villages and select war heroes that were revered throughout the lands of our allies. Walking a little further we came across a dedication wall for the Hokage's starting with the first, Hashirama Senju, and led up to Naruto's own portrait. It must have been the same portrait that had been used when the Hokage monument was carved; I always imagined that if Naruto ever became Hokage, then I he would have that goofy grin plastered on his face on the monument but he looked as serious and commanding as the rest of the faces. I couldn't help smiling. It was hard to believe that the dobe had managed to become Hokage, especially at such a young age, but if anyone deserved the title Naruto definitely did with all the hard work he'd put forth in accomplishing his dream. I didn't follow much of his progress in the few years he'd been Hokage, but there was no doubt in my mind he was one of the best kages that has ever lived.

"Are you going to gawk at it all day, Uchiha, or are you going to get a move on?" Shino asked, standing just behind me.

"It just caught me off guard, is all." I forced my gaze away from the painting to look at Shino momentarily before beginning to walk once more. We took a few more turns until we reached the large dining hall where I was immediately greeted by the maid Naruto had spoken of in the letter.

"Good morning," she said as she dipped her head in respect. I had to admit it was the first time anyone bowed to me first and it felt a little awkward to be given the honor. In my surprise I almost forgot to bow in return. "Good morning," I muttered softly before looking off to the side.

"Hokage-sama has told me to prepare anything to your liking. What would you like to eat?" Unlike everyone else, she actually looked me in the eye when she spoke and didn't act like I was going to use Sharingan to bring her harm; Shino and Kiba didn't even seem that comfortable around me.

"It really does not matter with me."

"Then I will make the usual that Hokage-sama asks for every morning." She bowed once more before walking off briskly, disappearing around the corner.

"Hey, what about us?" Kiba asked, looking a bit crestfallen.

"She knows that we're on duty and unlike some people, she obeys orders," Shino said, sparing Kiba a glance. "Now keep quiet and be professional for once in your life. I do not have any intentions of losing this guard position on the first day."

Kiba sighed. "Lighten up, would you? As if the Uchiha even cares." I actually did care for his antics were beginning to annoy me, but I kept my opinions to myself. Shino had the same idea because he didn't respond, either. He knew it was pointless to argue because the Inuzuka's were notorious for their stubbornness and would make sure to have the last word in any argument; I didn't even want to imagine what a fight between two Inuzuka's would be like...

I walked over and took a seat at the center of the dining table that was built to sit twenty people easily. It didn't take long for the maid to bring out the food and I cringed at the mountain of food presented to me. Since it was something Naruto ate routinely I figured it would have been something along the lines of ramen. This must have been the first time I'd ever known Naruto to even know there were other types of food to exist. There was a large platter of scrambled eggs, a couple planks of fish, sticky rice, and some miso soup with a cup of hot ginger tea. It didn't seem like much to the average person but just the thought of consuming all of this food made my stomach churn. Now I wished I asked for only toast and jam...

"Itadakimasu." Once I started eating I ate more than I thought I would but didn't even come near to cleaning the plate. Barely half of it had been eaten, but I did manage to eat every grain of rice in my bowl. Once I was finished, I wiped my mouth on the napkin before standing up.

"I'm ready now."

"You didn't eat all of your food like the Hokage instructed," Kiba said, smirking.

I turned a glare in his direction. "If you _**dare**_ to try feeding me I'll bite your fingers off."

"Jeez, even after all these years you still haven't taken that stick out of your ass."

"Can you just take me to the Hokage now? I have to speak with him about important matters and don't need to waste any more time." It wasn't a complete lie, at least.

Although there weren't any serious matters that needed to be dealt with, I still wanted to show Naruto my gratitude and formally apologize to him. Under the given circumstances of the previous day there hadn't been much of an opportunity to talk about such things, so I planned on doing it properly today and as soon as I could so it could be gotten out of the way; I was sure there was also a small part of me that was worried I would manage to talk myself out of it as well, so sooner was better than later before that mindset settled in. Every time I thought of seeing Naruto again, my nerves started going haywire and my pulse hammered in my eardrums to the point where I could hear the humming of my blood pumping through my veins. It didn't matter how uneasy I became because I simply had to swallow what was left of my pride and just tell him. Simple words didn't feel sufficient enough for the caliber of apology that I needed and I felt I should be crawling on my knees into his office and begging him for his forgiveness, but I had to draw a line somewhere; an Uchiha didn't beg even when death was staring them in the face. I think they would have preferred death over committing such a demeaning act, anyways.

"Let's go," Shino said, this time leading the way as he made his way to the exit. "Kiba, you take point and make sure no one approaches us from the front or flanks. Keep your nose on high alert. You can sense the intent of those nearby, so if anyone seems like a threat, let me know. I'll trail my sensor insects behind us to pick up the slack to the rear."

"Right." Kiba complied to Shino's orders surprisingly with no complaint.

The three of us filed out of the house with tensions already running high including my own. With their strict protocols and being on high alert, I didn't know what to expect when we first stepped outside. A part of me believed that there would be protestors lined up, ready to throw rocks, curse the air that I still breathed or even make an attempt at my life. As we reached the edge of the house's property, though, there was no one there aside from the few regular passerby. None looked particularly happy to see me but none looked like an immediate threat, either; some didn't even bother to look in my direction as if I didn't even exist or perhaps they were too frightened to make eye contact. Whatever their reasons, none of them bothered me in the slightest because I could care less about what they thought of me. From the corner of my eye I could see some villagers pulling their children closer to their sides and trying to hide them behind their backs as I passed. Honestly, you would have thought I was going to snatch their children and run into the forest to drink their blood for breakfast; I wasn't that thirsty yet. As we got closer to the Hokage tower, I couldn't help but overhear some of the whispered conversations amongst a few who purposely spoke loud enough for me to overhear:

"Why haven't they killed him already?" "They have given Uchiha the chance to destroy us all now." "I heard that he tried killing himself while in prison. Whoever saved him should have let him hang there."

Eventually I grew tired of seeing their reactions and finally lowered my head to stare at the ground as we continued walking. I tried drowning out the gossip but that was easier said in theory, but it helped to pay attention to the crunching snow beneath our feet. The hate was to be expected from everyone, so at least I wasn't completely blindsided by it. It was a good thing I learned long ago not to give a shit what others thought of me...as long as Naruto didn't despise me, I could care less if everyone else dropped dead. Their antics were more annoying than anything, but I had to suffer in silence.

I was a little relieved when we finally arrived at the Tower but apprehensive all at once. I wanted to be out of view from everyone's scrutiny, yet the thought of seeing Naruto made my pulse start racing once more. As we approached the entrance, the two guards standing outside grew tense and raised their kunai to their chest in a defensive position. Since Kiba was the one leading the pack, he was the first one to approach the two, glaring at them angrily.

"We have direct orders from the Hokage himself to escort Uchiha Sasuke upstairs for a meeting. I advise you to stand down and step aside." Kiba's dog sauntered to his side, giving a warning bark in agreement.

"We have received no orders from the chain of command to allow anyone in today unless notified on this list," the right guard said, holding up a clipboard with a list of names written on it. "And I can assure you his name is definitely not on here."

The guard standing on the left looked down at the dog and merely growled back at it mockingly, though you could see the unease in his eyes as the dog growled back. "Call off your mutt, Inuzuka."

"He is doing his job just as I am doing mine." Kiba grinned, showing off his canines. "Want to see some of his tricks?"

"Kiba, back down now," Shino said quickly, stepping up to his other side. "We do not need to cause a spectacle of ourselves more than we already have." I took a quick look around and noticed that, indeed, some villagers had stopped on the streets to watch the scene unfold before them.

"You better listen to your wise friend here, Kiba."

"If you do not let us in, then I will gladly report you to the Hokage himself to have you relieved of your duties...permanently." Shino crossed his arms over his chest as a sign to show he was being serious.

"We are under strict orders to keep any…civilians from entering unless reported otherwise." the right guard looked over at me and met my gaze for a moment before quickly averting his line of sight back to Kiba, surely afraid I would pull a genjutsu tactic on him. The prospect almost brought a smile to my face. Almost.

"This is bullshit! Why don't you go ask him yourself, then?"

"Even we do not have clearance to enter this facility," said the left guard, smirking; he was clearly having a good time with this. If I wasn't under such strict circumstances I would have most definitely knocked this guy out already. "Leave this property now or I will be forced to kick your ass. That would just be _**tragic**_ , though."

"I would like to see you try, you bastard. Then my dog can have that new chew-"

"Everyone, stop speaking now!" Everyone was struck to stunned silence, including myself as Shino yelled at them; even Kiba himself looked a bit surprised at the outburst. Never had I heard an Aburame member raise their voice before and this was monumental for even his own teammate. He released a heavy sigh as he straightened his sunglasses that slipped half-way down the brim of his nose. "Are any of you capable of handling this situation like civilized shinobi? Perhaps instead of arguing amongst yourselves like children from the academy, why not brainstorm a solution to this problem?"

There was a short silence before the right guard spoke up. "We have only been at this post for about an hour and relieved the earlier guards. We were given no special orders from them to allow him through these doors. So if you have a problem performing your duties, then take it up with them."

"Then allow me to straighten this out myself." Everyone was struck deathly silent at the voice; even the passerby on the streets were struck to silence to witness this moment. I couldn't help staring unblinkingly at Naruto as he stepped outside, though he didn't even as much spare a glance in my direction. I watched almost in a daze as his robe swayed around his ankles and out the door just as it closed shut behind him, giving the effect that flames were licking out the bottom of the door.

My breathing hitched in my throat as it did every time when I first saw Naruto. Despite how cold it was outside, my hands still grew clammy and I wringed them into the sleeves of my shirt to try drying them. I watched as Naruto grabbed the clipboard from the guard's hand and scribbled something on the paper in bold, black letters. If I leaned forward slightly I could just make out the message: _**Uchiha, Sasuke. Status: S.G/T.C. (Safeguarded Guest/Total Clearance.) E.P/T.C. (Escort Party/Total Clearance.)**_ Once he finished writing, he handed the clipboard over to the guard none too gently. Both guards were flushing severely by this point and bowed their heads quickly.

"We truly apologize for the misunderstanding, Hokage-sama," the left guard muttered. "In our own defense, there were no notifications left for us by the previous guard when we relieved them this morning."

"Now you have been informed. Do not forget to give this clipboard to the next guard and verbally remind them as well so this mix up does not happen again. Until you hear differently from me, Uchiha Sasuke is to be allowed clearance into this building at all times, are we clear?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama," the guards said in unison and bowed a little lower.

Naruto then turned to Kiba and Shino. "I want you to take the names of these guards and the ones who were on the morning post and report their names to me. Once you have done this report the same information that was given to these two to the other guards on the premises. Make sure to tell them to relay the message to the other guard shifts as well when they are relieved so this mix-up does not happen again."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Are you sure it will be safe for Sasuke to be without a guard?" Shino asked, adjusting his glasses once more. The more I watched him do this, I realized it must have been a nervous habit of his as this time they hadn't even budged since the last time he adjusted them.

"It will only be for a few moments. He will be safe with me, I assure you." I knew Shino was talking about the safety of Naruto himself and not my own like he made it sound, but no one said anything about it. They seemed to hesitate for a moment before bowing in compliance and jumped onto the roof, disappearing out of sight.

Now that he was done conducting business, I thought Naruto would look over at me but he didn't even as we made our way into the building and down the hallway. For some reason I was left feeling that _**I**_ had done something wrong and he was mad at me, but I quickly kicked myself in the ass for the thought. I had done many things for him to be mad about but I honestly hadn't thought I'd done anything today to evoke such a reaction unless it was for being so late.

When we arrived at his office, he quickly unlocked the door with the effeciency of someone who'd done it a thousand times before and stood off to the side to give me permission to enter before shutting the door behind us, locking it; being locked in a room with Naruto threw up red flags for a multitude of reasons, but if he didn't pay any mind to it then I wasn't either. I stood in the middle of the room like a lost child without a clue as Naruto walked past me to stand behind his desk. Finally, he looked up at me and it had my heart hammering in my chest faster than it was before. The look he gave me didn't look in no way angry; in all honesty his expression held no emotion at all. His eyes told me everything I needed to know, though; they were clouded with apprehension but I couldn't puzzle out exactly why.

I continued massaging the fabric of my shirt into my palms nervously, not knowing what to say and waited for him to make the first move. The longer he stared at me, the more apprehensive I became myself. Why the hell was he looking at me like that without saying anything? Never before had I felt this way when being around Naruto or anyone for that matter, and it was driving me crazy to allow myself to feel so uncomfortable now. Feeling utterly powerless under that gaze scared me more now than what I felt the night I stared into Itachi's eyes just after he had killed everyone. After being caught in that gaze for what seemed like half an eternity I finally managed to look away, staring at anything except Naruto.

I hadn't been serious at first when I started looking around the room but I had to admit, I was a little impressed with all of the decorations on display. Shelves upon shelves were shoved into every available space to the point where you could hardly see the walls; there was only one wall that showed any space as the middle part had black bamboo poles running from the floor to ceiling, crammed beside each other where you couldn't even see the original color of the wall beyond it. A stone fountain also stood in the middle of the accent wall and I watched for a moment as the small water wheel carried water and transported it back to the top of the rock wall so it cascaded back over the small waterfall. Although it seemed simple, this was one of the most intricate and serene fountains I had ever seen. The shelves didn't have many books on them and instead housed many statues and pottery items of traditional Japanese artwork. As my eyes continued going over the entire room, they finally fell to Naruto's workspace. Behind the desk, sitting on the windowsill were a few banzai trees that were trimmed to perfection. That was an unusual hobby I couldn't have imagined Naruto picking up for I thought he lacked the patience for it. His desk was the messiest thing in the room as there were papers scattered everywhere with not even the slightest degree of organization. Through the breaks in papers I could see large ink blotches peeking through where I assumed he had spilled his jar of ink as he shoved his papers around haphazardly. I could easily imagine his reaction as he cursed himself out as the ink bled through the papers he had already signed that he would have had to rewrite once more; I was barely able to hide the smile on my face at the image. There were also a few pictures in frames sitting on his desk and I gave a momentary pause on them.

Hesitantly, I walked over to his desk and picked up one of the pictures. It was an old picture that was taken during the early days at the academy when everyone was barely old enough to blow their own noses without their mother's help. I couldn't help but smirk despite myself. That day happened so long ago I was surprised I remembered it at all, but Naruto always left an impression on people, even in the younger days. While everyone stood in rows staring at the camera, Naruto was in the background, standing on a desk to peek over the shoulders of the taller kids, his face painted in bright red swirls and slashes while Iruka-sensei tried to get to him; in his struggle his arms were flailing around just as the picture was snapped...right before they latched around Naruto's neck and shoulders. When I closed my eyes I could still see the entire scene unfold before me. That was such a simple time that I didn't even feel that it was real.

I gently sat the frame down and went to the next one, a picture of the team after I had left the village. Sakura was standing in the middle of Naruto and Sai while Kakashi and the one I believe was named Yamato stood behind them. They were all standing straight with arms hanging stiffly at their sides. Everyone in the picture was smiling although Naruto and Sakura's smiles looked forced; I took that back. Naruto was grinning so hard, it looked more like he was gritting his teeth instead as you could see the strain lines in his cheeks; Sakura only came off as pissed in disguise as you could see the anger embedded in her eyes. Kakashi and Yamato looked like they were the only happy ones in the pictures as they looked genuinely amused, arms draped around one another's shoulders like they'd been friends their entire lives. The last person I looked at was Sai and I found myself gripping the frame firmly in my hands in an involuntary spike of anger.

"That picture was taken three years after you left." Naruto said this so suddenly, I almost dropped it on the floor.

"You and Sakura look pissed," I said softly as I carefully sat the picture back on the desk before slowly looking up at Naruto.

He smiled gently and looked down at the picture as he spoke. "Sai hadn't been an official member to the team for long, so we still hadn't gotten used to having him around. His personality...or lack of, I should say, was hard to get used to and he was always pissing us off. Unintentionally, of course." He paused for a moment as he reminisced the moment. "Right before the cameraman snapped the picture, Sai told Sakura 'you better not smile too brightly, Sakura. I read in a book once that ugly people break cameras when they smile.'" Naruto legitimately laughed and it made my stomach flutter at hearing the sound. That was the first time I'd heard him laugh in almost ten years and it was intoxicating. It brought a smile to my face, though it quickly faded. "When he was part of Anbu, he was taught to discard his emotions and only started remembering them a while after joining our team. He still hasn't completely mastered them, yet, but he's getting there. Just don't take offense to some of the things he says because he does not know what he does. You just have to get used to it and block it out."

I could only nod my head in understanding; the topic of Sai left a bitter taste in my mouth. To be honest I could care less at hearing about him for he was placed on the team solely as my replacement. It angered me a bit to know I had been replaced but no one could be blamed but myself. I hadn't been there for them and if Sai was there to protect them where I failed to do so, then I had to give him a bit of respect for filling in the blanks.

When I picked up the last picture, I already had a feeling I knew what it was before I even saw it. I recognized the frame because I used to have the same picture myself long ago. It was the first picture of Team Seven that had ever been taken. Kakashi was ruffling both Naruto and I's hair as we glared at each other while Sakura smiled on innocently, totally oblivious to the tension. The glass of the frame had been shattered and it distorted the picture a little but for some reason it felt suiting.

It felt odd holding this picture in my hand, the moment being too surreal. This was part of a past I had begun to believe never existed, yet here I was holding the proof in my hands. So much had happened since then, it felt like more than one life had been lived to accomplish it all and I was left feeling like this wasn't even me staring back in the picture at all. Perhaps I was beginning to lose my mind, but I felt like a completely different person than the one who used to be a well-respected shinobi of Konoha compared to who I had become after leaving, then looking at myself now...you could hardly see the resemblances between the three.

"I have been meaning to replace that glass for awhile now, but I haven't gotten around to doing it." Naruto reached over to take the picture into his own hands and I handed it over without hesitation. I stared at him from the corner of my eye as he stared at the picture, deep in thought. "After returning from the retrieval mission last time, I went to lay down and saw the picture on the nightstand. I'm not sure what possessed me to do it, but I grabbed the picture and punched it." He fell silent for a moment. "If you look closely, you can still see a few blood specks on the broken glass." When he chuckled this time I could tell it was forced.

"Do you know how many times I've looked at this picture, Sasuke?" He paused for a moment and when I didn't answer, he continued. "Every night before I went to sleep and every morning when I woke up...this picture was there to serve as a reminder. After all these years, you never left my thoughts for one day because even though you weren't really here...you were _**here.**_ Some days I would feel as if you weren't even real, that you were only a figment of my own fucked up imagination, but this picture was always there to prove that I wasn't crazy."

I swallowed hard but was having difficulty doing so due to the lump that had formed in my throat. "I am here now, Naruto. I'm standing right in front of you...I'm not just a face on a piece of paper, anymore. I'm real...and I promise I'm not going going to disappear again."

Naruto slowly looked up at me and stared at me intensely for a long time. For the first time since I'd been back I didn't shrink under his gaze nor did I feel like a complete stranger, anymore. There was actually confidence to back up my own firm stare, though it didn't mean I still wasn't nervous under his scrutiny. I'm not certain how long we stood locked in each other's gaze but something changed in his expression suddenly that I was unprepared for. I watched as he sat the picture frame back to its proper place and briskly walked around his desk towards me. His actions startled me and I found myself backing away a few steps out of instinct, but he didn't stop until he was standing directly in front of me. My body knew what was happening before my mind could process the thought as I tensed up just as Naruto's fist reared back and punched me in the jaw. There was plenty of time to block the attack but I didn't as his fist collided with my cheek, my head reeling back; as I righted myself, I still remained stoic as I stared back, emotionless. God knew I had that one coming and if the roles were reversed, I wouldn't have stopped wailing until I couldn't move my arms anymore.

Naruto's eyes widened slightly when he seemed to come to his senses as if he didn't believe he had just done that; deep down I was just as surprised that I hadn't hit him back. A silence fell over the room as we stared at one another for an indiscernible amount of time. The only sound that filled the room was the soft cascade of water emitted from the waterfall and the gentle hum of the water wheel in it's slow rotation.

"Naruto..." Before I could get the sentence out, I was struck silent once more as Naruto suddenly closed the space between us and engulfed me in his arms in a tight embrace. I couldn't have been more surprised if he'd stabbed me with a kunai.

"Just to let you know...that was for the picture frame..." Naruto muttered, barely a whisper in my ear. My arms had been pinned down by Naruto's own, so I couldn't have hugged him back even if I wanted to, not that I was in any condition to do so, anyways. I was having difficulty breathing due to our close proximity and had turned to stone. The scent of Naruto shrouded me in a veil, filling every receptor in my brain to the point where I couldn't form a single coherent thought. There was the faint smell of ink stuck to his robes that mixed with an undertone of musk that reminded me of rotting wood and wet moss found deep in the forest with a tinge of honey and ginger added in the mix, probably from having drank a cup of tea recently. The essence of his scent was just as intoxicating as his mere presence was and it left me completely paralyzed. His warm breath tickled my ear, sending goose bumps down my spine and caused my heart to start beating more rapidly in my chest. I was scared he was going to feel my heart trying to hammer its way out of my chest but upon closer inspection, I realized his was as well as it thundered against my own chest.

"Words cannot express how happy I am that you finally came home."

His words shocked me out of my stupor and very slowly, I lifted my arms as high as they would go and wrapped them around Naruto's abdomen gently. By the small jerk of his shoulders I could tell that he was just as surprised as I had been. "There's no other place I would rather be than here."

Minutes or centuries could have passed and I wouldn't have known the difference as we stood locked in each other's embrace, but it couldn't have been no longer than a few seconds. Just to make sure I didn't overdo the breach in personal space I reluctantly pulled away and took a step back, looking off to the side.

"I just wanted to say that...I'm sorry. I know I have said it a few times but saying it a million more doesn't take back the things that I have done. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness and I don't expect to be given it, but I've grown to accept anything you are willing to give me." I closed my eyes. "I know I fucked up...and the only reason I'm here now is because I want to make things as right as I possibly can." The lump in my throat was beginning to choke me and I had to fight the urge to try massaging it away. When he didn't say anything back, I slowly looked back at him. Two cerulean orbs bore straight into my own obsidian pools; they were so transfixed on me I thought I might explode from the intensity held in them. After a long moment, I finally found my voice again but I couldn't speak above a whisper. "I just need to know how to make everything right again."

Naruto was the one compelled to look away this time. "Well...those words mean a lot to me, Sasuke. And I believe every word that you say. I know you are capable of committing many terrible acts," that statement had a bit of bite to it and I was about to protest until he held his hand up to stop me before continuing, "but one thing you have never done is lie, Sasuke. You have always said exactly what was on your mind despite how upset it would make someone. That is one of the things I like the most about you...you didn't sugar coat something just to make someone feel better about themselves." Although he wasn't looking at me, I could still see the half smirk peeking through. By the time he looked back at me it was already gone, though, replaced by a more serious look. "I will admit...what you said in the prison cell and the courtroom threw me off my game and to be honest I was frightened by your words in more ways than one. You have never spoken like that before and at first I didn't believe a word you said just because it was so unbelievable; maybe I was too afraid to believe." He paused for a moment as if he was trying to puzzle something out. "You really were telling the truth...all of it. I do not think you would stoop as low to lie about such pettiness, even in times of such desperation."

I clenched my hands into fists and decided not to respond to his statement for the fear of getting an argument started. Despite the seriousness of this conversation I couldn't help but feel a little annoyed by his poor choice of words. It made me sound weak...vulnerable. Although it may be true to some extent, I was neither of these things and had willingly allowed myself to be open intentionally in front of him!

He sighed and shook his head. "I can tell you're pissed...I can see it in your eyes. I didn't mean to set you off and it wasn't my intention to take a stab at your ego...but what I said is true. You are the strongest person I know, Sasuke, and I know you aren't weak. Hell, the fact that you were able to stand against Ibiki in interrogation is enough proof of that." He chuckled slightly.

"The only reason I did any of this was for you," I said more tensely than I had intended. "I could care less about anyone else in this village. If you weren't here to stop me I would have burnt this place to the ground a long time ago." I cursed under my breath when I realized what I had said, but I was glad it was now out in the open. Although it didn't help with my newfound freedom, I didn't want to hold back any secrets from Naruto except for the one that I had to keep to myself. No one was to ever find out about it because I knew the implications it would create; t was better to be forgotten for the betterment of everyone involved.

"Why the hell would you do that, though? Why am _**I**_ the one that is stopping you?" Naruto's jaw jumped as he clenched his teeth together a few times, clearly unnerved by the prospect that he was the only one standing between me and the deaths of thousands of others. "And why do you trust me so much to tell me this? I could easily throw you back in prison for your confession. You do understand this, right?"

I couldn't help but smirk despite the severity of the moment. "I guess that bond you rattled on about all these years runs more deeply than we thought. And I know you wouldn't do that. You have too much faith in me."

"Will you answer me truthfully, Sasuke?" He took in a deep breath and held it in, worried about hearing the answer, I assumed. "Am I wrong to trust you again?"

His words caused my heart to wrench painfully and the result knocked my breath away as if I had been hit by a speeding freight train. The question should have been expected considering my last statement but it didn't hurt any less that he still had to ask. I released a sigh and looked over at the fountain as I spoke. "I will never deceive you again nor will I lie to you now even though I know this may end badly for me." I took a deep breath and released it. "As long as you are alive and still have ties with this village...I will never bring harm to this place again."

"What happens when I am gone?" Naruto asked so softly I barely heard what he had said.

I couldn't lie to him even though I knew he wasn't going to like the answer. Finally, I looked over at him and stared in his worry-filled eyes as I spoke, "You are the only family I have left and the day your heart stops beating is the day mine does as well. I will ravage the streets of Konoha and kill anyone who gets in my way until it is reduced to dust or I will die trying. This place is a worthless corruption without you being here to guide these blinded fools and it does not deserve to exist past you.

"I know it is dangerous of me to say this but I promised not to keep anything from you. I will understand if you must take action." I watched his fearful eyes and knew I had indeed overstepped my boundaries. He was afraid of me now...something I had failed to accomplish even when I had made it my mission to scare him away after I left Konoha. "Just know I will not hold it against you. Even if you tried killing me now, Naruto...I would not do anything but smile."

"An Uchiha, smiling? That is something I cannot bring myself to believe." Although Naruto was trying to remain stoic I could hear the nervousness in his voice and could see it in his eyes. The gears were turning in his head as well as he thought of a solution to handle the new situation. "Thank you for your candor...I will definitely keep that statement in mind."

"You're going to take me back now, aren't you?" Even though I tried to mask my emotions I could still hear the panic seeping through.

"No...I'm not." He slowly walked over to me and placed a hand on my shoulder, surprising me further. For a moment I stared at the offending hand before following the arm up to its owner. As our eyes me, he was actually grinning at me. "You told me the truth and I cannot reprimand you for that. Do you know what this means, though?"

"I haven't a clue..."

"I just have to live forever...or at least until your decrepit ass is put in the ground." I shrugged his hand off my shoulder just as he started laughing.

"Tch. Dobe."

"Teme."

This time when we fell into silence it was oddly peaceful. My pulse started to return to normal and as a result the lump in my throat dissipated. For the first time since being back, I felt as if things were as they used to be and for a moment I had given in to the belief that maybe...just maybe things would return back to the way they were before I had left the village. As soon as that thought crossed my mind, though, I knew that was only fantasy. Too much had occurred during that stretch of absence and time always had a way of changing people; I was a very good example of that.

Not once in my entire absence did I believe Naruto Uzumaki would have been capable of an act of maturity and I thought he would always be that same naive, overly-optimistic, hyper kid who always charged headlong into conflict without thinking of a proper plan of action. For the last decade, Naruto's image had never changed in my imagination and he had always looked the same, sounded the same, and acted the same.

As children in the academy, Naruto had been one of the shortest people in the class and always got teased for it; now his height even surpassed my own as he stood a half-head taller than myself. His hair had gotten a lighter hue from being bleached after spending so many hours in the blistering sun. A five o'clock shadow now adorned his cheeks as well when he hadn't even had the first hair on his chin before my departure. He was a few shades tanner and had a more broadened figure than I remembered from packing on some muscle. The one thing that had remained the same after all these years, though, were his eyes. Despite the hardships he had overcome, the stresses that came with being the Hokage, experiencing years of combat and witnessing all the bloodshed...none of these things had changed them as they still shined just as brightly as the first day I had met him. His belief in seeing the good in the entire world and still holding onto his childish intrigue still allowed him to be able to retain his innocence despite the bleak world we lived in. I had been blindsided at first by the changes in his appearance and it had taken me a moment to realize just who he was but those eyes...no one could mistaken them if you'd ever been lost in them before.

His appearance hadn't been the only thing that had changed. I could instantly tell he wasn't the same dobe that I left behind just from his brief visit to my cell. The fact that he was Hokage now was proof enough that he wizened up and as the only family I had left...I could say that I was proud of him like a mother would be of a newborn child. Naruto truly had grown up in more ways than one and I was still dumbfounded by the changes, feeling as as if I was meeting him for the first time again. I guess that fact held true for both of us, as I had changed a lot, too.

The knock on the door shocked us out of our stupor as we turned in unison to look at the still locked door. Before Naruto could make it to the door, they tried turning the knob and jiggled it desperately a few times when they realized it was locked.

"Naruto? Are you okay in there?" Kiba's muffled voice sounded just outside the door as he jiggled the handle once more. Before he had the chance to rip the door off its hinges, Naruto threw the door open to look at Kiba and Shino. They both wore expressions of relief as they saw Naruto unharmed. To see how relieved they were unnerved me quite a bit to know that even my former comrades and friends didn't even trust me around him. It kind of hurt, to be honest, but I didn't let it show. I merely turned and walked around Naruto's desk to look at the banzai trees more closely while they conducted business among themselves.

"We apologize for taking so long, Hokage-sama," Shino said. "We made copies of your written form and all guards have been properly informed. We also gave them each a copy along with extras to pass along to the rest of the guards."

"Here is the names of the assholes out front as well," Kiba added. I saw him hand a slip of paper to Naruto before looking at me. When he saw me staring, he gave a small grin though I knew it was forced. It reminded me oddly of a dog's expression when they knew they had done something they weren't supposed to do.

"Thanks you guys. And how many times do I have to tell you, Shino? You do not have to call me that when there is no one else around. When it is just us, you are a friend before personnel."

"Forgive me, Naruto. It is a difficult habit to break. I will try to remember it for next time. After all, I'm still surprised you even remember my name, so it's difficult to say if I am your friend or not."

Naruto went deadpan at that, staring at Shino like a dead fish. "You're never going to let me live that down, are you? You go on a training mission for a couple of years and forget a friend's name _**once**_ and you are targeted for life." Kiba laughed heartily at that and clapped Naruto on the shoulder.

"Don't take it too personally, buddy. Hell, even I sometimes forget that Shino's here even when he's standing right beside me."

"I am easily forgettable...I understand that. Though coming from you, Kiba, I say that comes as a relief to me."

It was Naruto's turn to laugh now as he watched Kiba gawk in hurt. This even brought a smile to my own face. "Hey! What are you trying to say?!"

"I am saying you are obnoxious, loud, and annoying more often than not and it it refreshing not to have to put up with your stupidity all the time."

This entire moment was so bizarre it was almost unbelievable. It seemed so easy-going, simple, so...normal. I couldn't remember a time where I had witnessed such a scene and it only reminded me of how Naruto and I used to bicker during training. Times back then had seemed so undemanding as none of us had any idea what the future had in store for us. At that time we didn't really dwell on it for that matter despite being rigorously trained for combat and we only lived from one moment to the next, not knowing that we would have a secured future past our next mission. I craved to have that effortless life back but it was part of the distant past now and unreachable.

' _ **I hope there are moments like these waiting for us in the future, Naruto. I can't wait until that day comes.'**_

"-what do you say, Sasuke?" Hearing Naruto say my name shocked me out of my stupor and I turned to look at him in confusion.

"Uh..." I was at a complete loss.

"You didn't hear a word we just said, did you?"

I flushed slightly and felt like shrinking my head into my jacket like a turtle in its' shell. "I'm sorry. What are you asking me?" The room went silent as all eyes fell on me, staring a hole through my skull. The uncomfortable atmosphere was starting to get to me and I started to wring my hands into my shirt again. At this rate there wasn't going to be any fabric left to hold onto as I was sure I was whittling it down to nothing but the individual threads. "Tch. What is it?"

"Are you feeling alright?" Kiba asked in a voice that sounded legitimately caring.

"I'm fine...why?"

"Because you just apologized...it's not normal."

I had to literally clamp down on my tongue to prevent myself from telling him off. Naruto could sense my rising anger and thankfully jumped in to my rescue.

"I think I'm going to call it an early quits today." Naruto said as he walked back to his desk and began straightening some papers into a couple of semi-neat stacks.

I raised a curious eyebrow. "Should the Hokage be skipping out on their job? That doesn't sound like you're setting a good example for the people...or those two." I motioned towards Kiba and Shino with a nod of my head.

"I'm the one in charge, so I say it's my day off," He smirked as he made his way towards the door. "Besides, I've got more important things to attend. Like baby-sitting you."

Before I could retaliate, Naruto had already made it to the door and disappeared around the corner. I sighed softly and quickly followed after him with Shino and Kiba bringing up the rear. We all followed Naruto down the hallway, down the stairs, and out of the building in complete silence. Now that we were back in the eyes of the public, the friendly attitudes had seized as everyone fell into their usual routines once more. It was kind of amazing how quickly a shinobi could go from bullshitting one another to regaining their sense of professionalism just as quickly like flipping a light switch on. As we walked, I looked straight ahead and stared at the back of Naruto's head, not daring to look around around for I didn't want to see the hateful sneers I could feel boring into the back of my skull again. Naruto didn't seem to share the same worries as he looked around at the villagers, giving them small smiles and waving at some of the kids running around like nothing was astray. Despite the fact that some of the villagers dared to glare at him didn't even fazed him in the slightest and I was taken aback at his resolve. As we continued walking down the streets, Kiba and Shino now flanking my sides, a thought came to mind and hit me like a ton of stone. I came to such a quick standstill that I almost gave myself whiplash.

Kiba and Shino came to a halt as well and turned to look at me oddly. "Did you just go braindead or something?" Kiba asked. Despite the attempt to lighten the moment I could see the uncertainty in his expression; you could practically hear the gears grinding in his brain as he tried puzzling this out.

Naruto slowly came to a stop as well and turned to look at me, brows furrowed with worry. "Hey...are you alright?"

I focused my gaze on him as I tried forcing myself out of the daze. Hearing Naruto's voice pulled my head out of the clouds and after awhile I finally found my voice to answer. "I'm fine. I'm just a little tired is all." I hated that I could stare him so casually in the eye and lie to his face but I couldn't worry him by telling my suspicions.

He studied me for a long time before nodding his head, accepting the explanation. "If you say so." He then motioned towards his home with a quick nod of his head. "Let's hurry and get back to the house so you can rest."

The only thing I could do was nod in agreement. My legs felt as heavy as lead, but I willed them to keep moving. It wasn't that far to Naruto's home from the Hokage Tower, but it was one of the longest walks of my life. It felt like I gained ten extra pounds with each step and I could hardly lift my feet over the threshold once we got there.

We hadn't even had the chance to sit down before Naruto called the maid to fix all four of us some lunch, which I had no choice but to eat. I tried excusing myself so I could go straight to bed so I could be left alone with my racing thoughts, but Naruto had insisted and gave one of his infamous rants about how important it was for me to eat so I could get back in shape. Eating was the last thing on my mind right now but I didn't argue with him because in the end he would have gotten his way, anyways. Somehow, he always did. I guess that was because he always begged like a child would until he finally got his way; so much for the maturity...

After I forced down half my lunch, I excused myself from the table and went to my room to get some rest much to Naruto's dismay. He wanted me to stay a little longer so we could talk more, but he understood I needed to rest and didn't fight it. I wanted to spend time with Naruto as well, but I couldn't face him right now after realizing the grim reality I bestowed upon him. I couldn't even look him in the eye without guilt consuming me and I didn't even spare a glance in his direction as I left the table.

On the walk back to Naruto's house, everyone had been glaring at me, which wasn't much of a surprise and it didn't bother me...but when they shared those same expressions towards Naruto...

My blood began to boil.

How could they look at him with such resentment in their eyes when I was the one they had issues with? It was me they despised, not him! It took me longer than it should have to realize what had caused such a reaction and when it finally donned on me, my blood froze in my veins just as quickly as it had passed the boiling point. This was one of the implications given to him since Naruto allowed me to live and had set me free. I was the reason that was making them turn against their own Hokage, the person that they always looked up to, to guide them and enforce rule upon them, to offer them protection from their enemies, former and domestic. And now that I was here...all of those things had been thrown aside to allow one exception. The thought that they were losing faith in their Hokage's abilities frightened me because I didn't want to be the cause that damaged Naruto's dream more than I already had. Being the Hokage had been Naruto's dream since he was old enough to speak and I could not - would not - be the reason those dreams were shattered.

Once I was locked away inside my room, I sat on the foot of the bed and fell backwards with my arms thrown over my head, staring absentmindedly at the ceiling. I didn't know what to do to remedy this situation and it was pissing me off that I couldn't think of a solution fast enough. Of course I could just run away again which seemed like the easiest way, but I made a promise with Naruto and I didn't intend on breaking this one. Redemption was also an option, but not realistically possible considering there was only one person in the world who actually trusted me enough to give me an opportunity to prove myself. Giving information on Akatsuki and former Taka was on the table as well, but there was no way I could possibly rat out my former comrades like that; besides, even if I was willing, the information I had on them were several years old and trails were left cold long ago. What else was there to do aside from killing all the villagers who disapproved? That sounded like the best plan I'd had all night...

The longer I thought on the subject, the more muddled and unrealistic the plans became. In the end, I was brought back to square one again and finally gave up on my efforts. I released a heavy sigh and closed my eyes in defeat.

' _ **You should have killed me when you still had the chance.'**_

* * *

You should always be careful what you wish for...

As I was rereading/editing this chapter, I realized just how much I get into detail about things. Do I seem to ramble too much in my writing to the point where it gets boring and monotonous? If it does, please let me know and inform me of other things I could do differently to make the pace of the story flow better or make it a better read in general; I can't become a better writer if people do not tell me these things. ;)

I will try posting the next chapter within the next few days if things go according to plan (in other words, I quit procrastinating)...by the end of the week at most. I hope you've enjoyed my story thus far! After all, I do it for you guys! Donadagohvi ..\/,


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

 _ **. . .**_

"We were beginning to think you would not show up."

I knelt on the ground and bowed deeply, keeping my head lowered in respect and for the shame I had put on myself. "Please forgive me for my tardiness. I will make sure that it does not happen again. I had to take the time to cover my tracks like you instructed."

"Are you certain no one followed you? No one knows that you are here?"

I nodded. "No one suspects a thing. I made sure of it."

"Remember, nothing that is said in this room is not to leave it."

"I understand. You have my word."

"Very well, then. Arise so we can begin." I quickly got up and stood at attention, waiting for the rest of the debriefing with dreaded anticipation. There was a short pause as the Elders stared me down, no doubt looking for any sign of emotion on my face that would tell them I was deceiving them, but there was no deception to be read. My expression was a blank slate. "Do you know why we have called you here today?" Homura asked.

"I am assuming it has something to do with Uchiha Sasuke's return?"

"You are quite clever."

"It's not that difficult to figure out considering more than half of the village is outraged with his return and sudden amnesty."

"That is precisely one of the reasons we have summoned you here today." There was a short pause. "The Uchiha has tainted the Hokage's better judgment to effectively protect this village."

I couldn't help wincing at Homura's harsh words and clenched my hands into fists to contain the outburst I felt building up in my head. "Are you saying that you have lost faith in Uzumaki Naruto as the Hokage? Or do you not trust him for the simple fact that there is a criminal at his side who can affect his future decisions?"

"The fact that the Uchiha is still alive is proof enough that Uzumaki allows his personal emotions to drive his decisions and therefore lacks the integrity to do what needs to be done for the betterment of the village. He is unfit to be Hokage because he lacks the ability to make the difficult decisions that must be made. That is merely a quality needed in this line of work and he fails to understand that concept."

I didn't know if I could agree with everything in that statement, but they did have one thing right. Naruto has always worn his emotions on his sleeves and allows it to play a part in the decisions that he makes and that could sometimes be a dangerous thing if not handled carefully. Despite this fact, though, he had always been morally strong and always made the best decision in the end. Having a conscience wasn't a bad thing in my eyes as it prevented him from becoming a tyrant like the Elders seemed to be looking for. The villagers loved him for his emotional involvement because it showed them that he legitimately cared about the best outcome for them and he didn't see it as just a position that needed to be filled to prevent the village's total collapse. In my eyes, this was Naruto's only lapse in judgment and it was hardly enough reason to rip his title away from him.

"With all do respect, what does this have to do with me?"

"We would like to hear your own beliefs in this matter, if you will." Koharu said softly.

My brow creased in confusion as I thought on the question. I doubted the Elders summoned a low-ranking shinobi like myself to merely express my own views on this matter and red flags were instantly thrown up in my mind. This was an unusual meeting, indeed, and I didn't think I liked the sound of where this conversation was headed.

"I believe...you are asking the wrong person."

"Are you turning down a direct order from the Elders?" Homura glared down at me, making me more uneasy than I already felt. I wanted to tell them I had technically answered but thought it better to keep my comments to myself for the time being.

"I must inform you that I am one of the Hokage's friends and I believe it would be unfair of me to answer this question." The way they were staring at me made me feel even more uncomfortable. I attempted to swallow the lump in my throat, though unsuccessfully. It was at this moment that I knew I was backed against a wall and they weren't going to let this go until they received a legitimate answer. "I agree that emotions are dangerous to have in the world of a shinobi; that is why we are taught to suppress them when in combat so sympathy and mercy do not cloud our judgments when life is at the tip of our blades. The moment one allows themselves to succumb to the temptations makes a shinobi vulnerable for attack and that moment of weakness becomes our downfall."

Koharu nodded her head forward, which I took as a good sign that they liked my answer. "Do you believe the Hokage has made a poor judgment on the issue involving the Uchiha?"

"Yes." No hesitation.

They stared at me hard, looking for any sign that I was deceiving them but my face was still a blank mask; there was no way I could display my true emotions in front of them. My answer once again seemed to please them as Koharu hummed in approval. I was disgusted with myself and angry that they had forced me to slur my friend's name in such a manner.

"Do you believe his decision could bring harm to the Leaf village and possibly our allies?" Homura asked, crossing his arms.

"I cannot answer that question with conviction for I do not know for certain. From what I have heard about the Uchiha's return he seems to have changed exponentially, but I have not gathered enough proof of that for I have not spoken with him enough to come to such conclusions." I paused. "From what I know of the facts about his past, I know he has had ties with Akatsuki and is dangerous alone with that fact alone. He has murdered some of our own and plotted an attack against this village. Although he did not carry out his threats, the meaning behind those words still remains the same and the seed had been planted at some point. He may have truly changed for the better over the years, but he has the potential of still becoming dangerous again. It would only take a single thought for that seed to begin sprouting."

"There is one last question that we must discuss before continuing... Do you believe in taking drastic action if it is what's best for the future of the village?"

"If it means protecting my village, then yes."

A long silence shrouded every corner of the room to the point where even the small bamboo fountain sitting on the table seemed to have lost its sound. The pieces of the puzzle were beginning to click into place of my purpose for being summoned, and I was hating the sound of where this was going with each passing second. It was no surprise that I held such vehemency for the Uchiha, but then again so did half the village.

They turned to look at one another while whispering amongst themselves in an attempt to come to a mutual understanding with each other. My ears strained to pick up what they were saying, but it was futile. Once they came to an agreement, they both turned to stare at me once more.

"We have an assignment for you." I knew this was coming but hearing it said aloud still made my heart rate quicken. "It is of the utmost importance that this remains top secret and in no way is it allowed out of this room." I would have answered them aloud but my throat had gone dry by this point and I couldn't bring myself to speak, so I merely nodded in agreement. "There is no simple way to say this, so I am going to be blunt about it. You are going to assassinate Naruto Uzumaki."

The blood in my veins froze at hearing those words and I was certain my heart stopped dead in my chest. Surely I didn't hear that correctly and I had to shake my head a few times to try clearing the absurd statement, but it stuck like glue. "I'm sorry, can you repeat that last statement? Surely I misheard..."

Homura smiled at me in a way that made me feel like a child who just lost their first fist fight. It made me want to ground my fist into his wrinkled face. "You heard us correctly. In order for this village to remain safe and secured from it's potential downfall, we need you to kill the Hokage."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me." I had to clench my hands into tighter fists until the knuckles turned as white as the snow and tightened the muscles in my legs to prevent myself from running up and striking the smug looks off their faces.

"You have said yourself that he is a danger to us and everyone else who lives here. He is incapable of making the sacrifices needed that comes with protecting this village. So we will make the sacrifice for him."

"This has nothing to do with Naruto! The one at fault here is Sasuke and in no way-"

"He has proven that he cannot be trusted. Of course he has made this mistake based on an emotional response and playing favorites, so what is to say he will not make the same mistake again? We simply cannot risk it."

I gritted my teeth in anger and shook my head. "I won't do it. I will not allow it."

This was apparently the wrong thing to say as they glared at me, but I honestly couldn't have cared less. "You dare disobey us when you have agreed to all of our statements and conditions?"

"I agreed on the impression that the Uchiha was the one on trial here. You are telling me to commit treason against my own people. And I refuse!"

"Your Hokage that you vow to protect so dearly has committed treason on his own accords yet you refuse to enact upon this? You would be revered as a hero of the Leaf Village if you comply."

"I will be deemed a murderer and a traitor of the highest level. My status would be worse than the Uchiha's."

"Do you want to take the risk of having the Hokage destroy this village? Sacrifices must be made!"

"I must ask you to reconsider?" I could feel myself beginning to panic. "Allow me to take out Uchiha Sasuke and let the incident be rectified. One mistake is hardly reason enough to kill a man, especially the Hokage. There will be public outrage!" There was a short pause.

"As a shinobi, what are you trying to protect? Your patriotism towards your Hokage, the defense of your home...or your obligation to a friend?"

I fell silent for a long time as I allowed that to sink in. The reason I had become a shinobi in the first place was an obligation I chose to make to protect not only the villagers but the memory of those who had fought and died before me. It was also about fighting for the person who stands in arms with you, for there is a bond there that cannot be broken because you knew you could trust them with your life entirely without losing a minute of sleep worrying if they were going to protect you in your moment of vulnerability. Your comrades could easily say the same about yourself without hesitation. There was something there that ran thicker than blood and you couldn't simply take that away from someone and betray such a deeply embedded trust.

Perhaps that was the very reason that drove Naruto to save Sasuke? He always spoke of a bond that they once shared and even after the Uchiha had fled, he still felt that inseparable pull to protect the raven-haired man and bring him home. Although they had tried multiple times in the past to kill one another, Naruto still saw something that pulled their worlds together that gave him the will power to salvage that bond. And he had done that. Perhaps I didn't understand the logic in it nor did anyone else, but the two of them obviously understood and there was no room for anyone to question it.

Maybe the bond I had with Naruto wasn't as strongly binded as theirs, but he was my friend and my brother in combat and I failed to understand how anyone could ask someone to betray that trust. We trusted one another with our lives and he had saved mine more times than I could count. That was something I could never repay him aside from saving his own life. It truly sickened that I found myself in this position, being asked to shatter that friendship I had earned by shedding blood, sweat, and tears alongside him in battle. I truly hated myself.

As my mind was running in circles I almost forgot the question itself before realizing I had my answer. Without having faith in your leaders, there was no faith placed on the battlefield and their pride and insolence tended to cause more casualties more often than not. Defending the village was a priority to protect not only your friends and family, but also the parts that make up the machine that kept the heart of the village functional. Everyone played a key part in the success of the village and not one person was more important than the next, but everyone was needed in order to keep everything running smoothly. But without keeping true to the obligations that came with friendship, there was nothing left to fight for to begin with.

I lowered my head and closed my eyes. "What do you need me to do?" I asked softly, not even recognizing my own voice.

Eyes weren't even needed to know they were both smirking in victory; this realization made me hate myself more. "Using any means necessary, we need you to kill him without leaving any clues behind," Homura began. "If you must, make it appear that it was suicide. If you succeed, then you will be granted full amnesty for your actions but if you are captured...you are on your own. We will plant a seal on your tongue that will prevent you from releasing any information outside these walls in the case of capture and interrogation. From hereon in, you are on your own to make your own decisions. You have thirty days to complete this task. If it is going to take longer than this, you shall let us know."

I nodded my head slowly, still in a daze. "Understood."

"Come and kneel so I can administer the seal," Koharu added."We also need some of your blood for the seal to bind it to your body."

Without saying a word, I walked over and did as I was told. I bit a deep gash into the pad of my thumb then squeezed it for a small pile to gather. After that I held out my tongue and closed my eyes, waiting for the searing pain that always came with seals. Koharu gathered the blood on her thumb and placed it on the back of my tongue before saying the jutsu aloud. I winced as the burning begin but had to refrain from cringing as to not mess her up; instead I clenched my hands into tight fists once more and sucked up the pain. Although it lasted for only a minute it felt like hours were passing by as I rode out the pain. Once she took her thumb away, I quickly stood and backed away from them, panting heavily with my tongue still hanging out of my mouth; it hurt too much to move at the moment.

"The mark will be blistered for a few days and hurt for a few more, so I would tend to it accordingly. Do not go to a medic to have it healed and allow it to heal on its own so you do not raise questions. When you leave, exit through the back door and travel through the tree line until you reach the training grounds to avoid detection. You are dismissed."

I still couldn't bring myself to look at them as I gave a half-hearted bow before disappearing out of the building. Once I got off the premises, I ran through the forest but didn't head in the direction of the training grounds. To be honest I didn't even know where I was going as I had no destination in mind. My legs were at this point going at their own accord and I let them guide me away from the dreaded turn my life had suddenly taken.

Considering I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings or where I was stepping, I knew it was only a matter of time before I ended up tripping. Just as the thought crossed my mind, my foot got caught on a rock hidden under the snow and I fell to the ground hard, landing directly on my knees onto the bed of rocks. The pain wasn't even comparable to the ache I felt in my heart at the moment; it was actually welcomed. I rolled over onto my back and just stared at the sky above for awhile, not caring that my clothes were getting drenched by the melting snow.

Only now did I realize how late it really was as I stared at the dusky sky; I must have been running at a dead sprint for the past three hours, I estimated. My chest heaved as my lungs and heart tried catching up with the rest of my body while my legs begun to seize up and started cramping from the long, hard run. I knew I'd definitely done some major damage to the muscles and tendons, but nothing I hadn't handled before. These things were the last of my worries, though, and were nothing more than tickle in the back of my mind.

' _ **This seems like a peaceful way to die...freezing to death. It is so cold, no one would come along to disturb me and wouldn't find my body for awhile...it would be perfectly preserved until spring. Or maybe the wolves would find me first. That doesn't seem so bad...'**_ I spread my arms and legs out in the snow spread-eagle and stared at the brightening stars. They were always so much brighter during the winter especially when it was the new moon like it was tonight. A new beginning to the world but the ending for others...the universe had funny ways to show its irony.

' _ **No one would come to look for me, anyways. No one really cared about what happened to me before. Would Naruto even care if I were to die in this forest tonight without ever knowing what happened to me? I cannot bring myself to believe so.'**_

Now that my breathing had calmed and I couldn't hear the pounding of my pulse anymore, I could hear the silence that surrounded me. There was nothing to be heard: not a choir of crickets or the song of frogs singing to the night sky, no flowing water in the nearby stream, not even the late night birds chirping their last goodnights. It was as silent as the dead.

"Please forgive me...Naruto..."

* * *

You didn't think this was going to be so easy, did you? ;)

I came up with this twist on a mere whim; it was even unexpected for myself! Though quite suiting, I must admit. History does have the tendency to repeat itself, after all. It may not technically be in the same fashion as the Uchiha massacre, but they still have their martyr and pawn set once again. Who is their pawn this time, I wonder...? Perhaps in my sleep-deprived mind, I don't even know myself... (Yes...yes I do know, but I have a tongue seal myself that prevents me from talking, you see...) Can't wait to see how this turns out. Donadagohvi ..\/,


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

 _ **Naruto**_

It's been a week from today since I first welcomed Sasuke into my home. This week had been one of the longest of my existence yet at the same time there still hadn't been enough hours in the day. Everything seemed to go so smoothly on that first day but something seemed to change over night as Sasuke closed himself off from me once more...just when I was beginning to think we were making real progress. It was beginning to worry me because I didn't know what to say to console him and I feared if I pushed him too much, he would disappear again with a wisp of the wind. I felt like I was beginning to lose him all over again and I hadn't the slightest clue what to do; I was sandwiched between two infinite walls with no possible solution for escape aside from running in either direction and hoping I would eventually run into the answers at some point; I just didn't know which way to go and if I went the wrong way, then it may already be too late to backtrack.

Sakura came over on the second day to perform a mental evaluation on Sasuke to get a proper assessment on his condition...you can imagine how well that one turned out. He wasn't willing to give much of anything to her and for a moment it was like staring at the old Sasuke...the same narcissistic, egotistical, cocky, selfish bastard that he had been when we were first placed on Team Seven together. Despite trying to come off as an asshole to push us away it, in some twisted way, had the opposite effect on Sakura and I as we were left relieved more than anything...a bit amused, but mostly relieved. Sasuke may have been in a bad place mentally, but he was still the same Sasuke. I'm not sure if that was a good thing or not, but I was willing to assume it was.

My mind was an emotional train wreck that entire evening. Every time he was willing to answer a question, I felt either a rush of relief or an unbearable sadness wash over me. What he had said in the office about destroying the village still rang in my ears and deeply troubled me, but when questioned about similar scenarios and how he would deal with them he always answered satisfactory; in other words, he merely told us what we wanted to hear. I knew this had something to do with Sakura's presence, though, so I didn't bother questioning him about the legitimacy of the answer or deny his claims. I already knew the harsh reality of the situation and there was no need to interrogate him for an answer he'd already given the perfectly horrible response to. As long as he was being openly honest with me, then I thought it best to let the truth slide in the presence of Sakura for her own sake.

Sakura and I didn't speak much to one another while the evaluation was going on aside from sharing a few glances and the occasional nod, but once she had completed the fifty question survey we walked into another room to talk about it. A few of the things he willingly admitted to us was that he had suffered some alcohol abuse over the years and developed somewhat of an eating disorder; at least he had overcome the alcohol issue after a few years on his own accord, but one quick look at him could tell that he still suffered from the eating disorder. When asked if he was suicidal, he had completely seized up and failed to answer any of our questions after that; this was around the time he reverted to his old self as a defense mechanism, I believed. He didn't realize that his aversion to the question was all that we needed to confirm the suspicions, though.

I did not pity him; that was too harsh a word for my vocabulary as it implied that I was disappointed in him. It was quite the opposite, really. He'd given me no reason to feel such a way as of recently since he was being more cooperative and open than he'd ever been in his entire life. No, I was nothing but concerned for his well-being and wanted him to get better so everyone could see in him what I had seen all along. That acknowledgment was all he needed to feel like he was truly at home again and regain his sense of self-worth...I just knew it. And when that day comes, all dreams of the village's destruction would be nothing more than a distant memory. This was how we would get Sasuke back for good, mentally and physically. It sounded a bit morbid even to my own ears, but I couldn't help feeling a little satisfied at knowing the pain Sasuke had endured over the years was now the essence of what was saving his life.

After Sakura sent in the evaluation to the real psychologists to analyze, they had reported back the next day to say Sasuke had chronic depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, a very mild case of social anxiety, borderline anorexic and from my own personal evaluation that was off the record, suicidal. When I told Sasuke the verdict, I half expected him to say we were the crazy ones but he actually took it in silence. The news he didn't take too kindly to was the fact that he would have to see a psychiatrist twice a week. All my efforts to get him to reconsider were in vain, though. After much encouragement he finally relented when Sakura agreed to take classes with the doctors and perform the counseling herself. I was so relieved that I actually kissed her on the lips.

Let's just say the bruise I wore on my cheek for the next week was enough proof that she didn't take that one too well.

Today was the final evaluation of the week and I was waiting for Sakura to arrive, pacing the foyer anxiously in my wait. Sasuke was in his bedroom where he stayed most of the time now, most likely reading a book or sleeping; that was about the only thing her ever did, anymore. I looked up at the clock hanging on the wall and just as I did, Sakura walked through the door, her tan messenger bag slung over her shoulder.

"You're late." I crossed my arms and watched as she shut the door behind her.

"Back off, would you? I'm only three minutes late." She looked prepared to say something else but something in my expression must have stopped her as her own expression softened. "He still isn't talking?"

I sighed softly and shook my head. "And he hasn't come out of his room for the past two days. He keeps saying he's tired and just wants to sleep in. I don't understand what I did wrong, Sakura. Everything seemed to go so well on that first day and now he's as closed off as ever."

She put a hand on my shoulder, though it didn't comfort me in the slightest. "I think he just needs a little time to adjust. You have to admit there is a lot going on lately and it's probably putting him a bit on edge. Considering he thought he was going to be a dead man a week ago and now having to deal with the evaluations along with the guards breathing down his neck every minute of the day...that would be enough to put anyone at unease."

"I just hope we're not pushing him too far."

"If he is serious about wanting to be a part of this village again, then he understands these are the steps he has to take to make that happen."

"God, I hope you're right, Sakura-chan." There was a short silence.

"Have you tried talking to him about it?"

"I haven't," I finally admitted, averting my gaze as I took a seat on the bench that ran the length of the wall of portraits; Sakura followed suit. "I doubt he would tell me anyways."

She sighed in exasperation. "Naruto...you are the only one who can get him to talk. You shouldn't doubt yourself just because you do not fully realize the affect you have on people...Sasuke is no exception. If you ask him I am almost certain he will give you an answer. Even if he doesn't cooperate in the beginning, a little coaxing goes a long way. The only thing he needs is to be shown that you really care instead of doing this just for the sake of filling out papers."

I couldn't help but glare at her. "I _**do**_ care for him. He is not part of my work at all...he is my friend and he is in pain. That is why I want to help him."

Sakura scowled and slapped me on the forehead gently. "Do you think I don't know that? You're missing the point completely here. It's Sasuke's mind you're trying to convince, not yourself."

"Alright...alright, I get your point. I will try speaking with him but I don't know how. Something changed in him recently. He's closed himself off from me again and I don't understand why." I stared at the ground below my feet and watched as I shuffled my feet absentmindedly. "I had no choice but to question him at the trial and had help from Shikamaru in writing up some of the questionnaire, so it's not like I have a typed manuscript on hand to read to him. And if he hadn't thought he was about to die, then he probably wouldn't have said anything at all. His answers were final words in his own mind and he only felt obligated to say them before dying." I clenched my hands into fists and gritted my teeth in frustration. "No one gives a damn about Sasuke, but I do! I do more than he will ever realize and now I'm at a dead end because I don't know how to help him. So what am I supposed to do now?"

"Talk to him," she said a little tersely. "That is the only way. Do not rehearse it and speak from your heart."

I laughed at that. "You make me sound like a lovesick teenager trying to confess my love."

"I'm not the one who sounds like a lovesick teenager."

This comment made me blush fiercely and I looked around quickly to see if anyone had heard. "Would you keep your voice down before someone hears you?" I whispered in a small panic as I looked back at her.

"Oh my god..." Sakura fell silent for a while as she hit me with one of her analyzing looks that I knew all too well; she was dissecting me as she would one of her patients when trying to administer a proper diagnosis. "You really do love him...don't you?" Although she tried, she failed horribly at hiding her shock.

I had realized my mistake too late as it finally dawned on me that she had just been teasing me the first time. From making such a show from her comment and not denying the claim told her everything she needed to know. The rest of the blood in my body rushed to my cheeks so suddenly it left me feeling lightheaded. For a long minute I attempted to conjure up a proper response to deny it, but my mind had drawn a complete blank. It was already too late to try denying it and I felt like slamming my head against the wall. A defeated look crossed my features at knowing I had been caught and so easily at that. My eyes closed, my head lowering in shame.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan."

"F...For what?" Her voice sounded miles away.

' _ **For falling in love with Sasuke, too.'**_ The statement was on the tip of my tongue but I couldn't bring myself to say it. I couldn't tolerate the tension that had built up in the room, so I stood up to leave.

"Can we talk about this later? We are already late and we really need to get this evaluation done so Sasuke can rest." I still couldn't bring myself to look at her. She gave me no other option, though, as she reached up to cup my cheek in her palm and gently turned my head. My breath hitched in my throat as I was forced to look her in the eye. Although she still looked shocked, I was surprised to see there was no anger masked in them. Possibly a little shellshocked and even a little hurt, but overall, understanding.

"It's okay, Naruto-kun," she said softly, offering a small smile. Her hand fell from my cheek when she realized she had my attention. "You can tell me whenever you're ready to, you know...though I think it's already too late to hide it. It's written all over your face."

"I would do anything for Sasuke if only he would give me the chance to..." I said this is barely a whisper.

"Then go to him...now. The evaluation can wait, or better yet...maybe you can use it as an excuse to get answers out of him."

"But I'm scared, Sakura..." I swallowed hard. "I'm scared if I push him too hard…he'll be gone again."

"You told me that he wanted to make it up to you. He owes you, Naruto, and he knows that. He has no right to deny you answers and if he's really trying to change, then this is a start."

I closed my eyes and stayed silent for a long time, pondering on her words. She was right, of course. If Sasuke didn't pay me back with actions, then the least he could give me were a few words. I nodded. "Alright. I'll go talk to him. But what you and I just talked about...it stays between us, got it?"

She smirked slightly. "Trust me, I don't want to be the one to tell him. And by the way, take this." She reached into her messenger bag and pulled out a manilla envelope. "There are a list of questions written on the first page in case you get stumped and need a helping hand." I gratefully took the envelope and gave the page a quick read-through, if only just to try calming my nerves a bit...it didn't help.

"Are you going to wait around for awhile?"

She thought on it for a moment before shaking her head. "I don't think I should right now, but I will be back later to pick up the papers. I'll see you later, okay?" We turned to walk in opposite directions, but I stopped when she called my name. I turned half-way to stare at her questioningly with an eyebrow raised. "I know you don't need it, but good luck. Don't let him eat you alive in there ."

I scoffed. "Thanks for the load of confidence. I'll keep it in mind."

"Glad to be of help."

Not another word was said as we parted ways and I started the trek up the staircase. Just as I reached the top of the stairs, I noticed the two guards standing on either side of Sasuke's door who took notice of me simultaneously, looking over expectantly. Without saying a word, I crooked my finger in their direction to call them over, which they complied to immediately.

"Hello, Hokage-sama." They said and bowed once they reached me.

I managed to smile at them, though it was forced. "Kotaru...Aino. I need to speak with Sasuke in private if you don't mind, so you two can go get some lunch quickly."

"Sir? Are you sure?" They seemed uncomfortable with the request, but it was understood. They have only served at this post a few times when the normal guards were away on missions, so they weren't as comfortable leaving Sasuke alone with me as the others; to the rest it had quickly lost it shellshock due to the request being made so frequently.

"Go ahead. I'll be fine. I can keep an eye on him until you get back."

Although reluctant, they nodded their heads and made their way down the stairs, disappearing around the bend. I released a heavy sigh once they were gone and made my way towards Sasuke's room, taking my time walking down the hallway. As I reached the doorway, I placed my hand on the door handle and was about to walk in, but stopped myself short. Sakura's revelation was still running through my mind and it unnerved me to the point where I was even more nervous to confront Sasuke now as a new fear donned on me. Even though I didn't plan on telling him, I felt that somehow he was going to coax the truth out of me just as easily as Sakura had. Sakura hadn't even been trying yet I caved like an old mine shaft under the first sign of pressure. If it was that easy for Sakura, then it was definitely going to be hell maneuvering through an Uchiha's clever quips at wordplay.

' _ **If I don't get my emotions under control right now then he's going to see straight through me.'**_ Although I was trying to calm myself with the thought, it had the opposite effect on me and I cursed under my breath in frustration.

Just then the door suddenly swung open, nearly scaring the skin off my bones. Without warning I was put face-to-face with Sasuke with only a foot of air separating us. I stared at him in stunned silence as I tried to come up with the most logical response as to why I was just standing outside his door.

"W-What are you doing?" was the only thing I could manage.

"I think I should be asking what _**you**_ are doing dobe? I could see your feet pacing from the crack at the bottom of my door." He crossed his arms over his chest, making it come to my attention that he was shirtless. My breath hitched when I caught sight of him and couldn't help staring at his pale abdomen, but it wasn't because I liked what was presented to me. I had never seen anyone so skinny and pale before in my life and it wrenched my stomach in knots. The bottom of his rib cage threatened to burst through the skin, the clavicles made the top of his sternum look hollow, and even the bones in his shoulders protruded more visibly than they should be. When I finally made it back up to look him in the eye, he was scowling angrily at me. Although I tried hiding my emotions, the shock of the sight was just too much for me as I stared wide-eyed, mouth hung slightly agape.

"Do you have a problem?"

"Jesus, Sasuke..."

"Take your judgments and drag them to hell with you, Naruto." He quickly turned away and walked briskly to his bed where his shirt lay. In record time he had the shirt on, but even through the fabric I could still see the image seared into my memory. How had I not noticed this before now? When he turned back around I could tell his anger had faded and almost looked ashamed.

"Sasuke..." I whispered to myself, earning me a scoff.

"What are you doing here, you idiot?" My shock quickly faded and was replaced by my rising annoyance. How could he always evoke such a reaction from me so easily?

"Could you just drop the attitude for now? It's getting really old really fast."

"Then maybe it will get you out of my hair more quickly."

I bit down on my tongue hard but it still didn't stop the words from flying out of my mouth. "What is your problem, teme? After everything you have been through and after everything I've put up with these last few weeks, you're going to do this now? Really? I thought things were going to be different for now on."

Sasuke gave a pause as he let those words sink in. For a split second guilt clouded his eyes but it was gone just as quickly. "Tell me what you want so you will leave me alone."

I stared at him for a long time in disbelief and a little hurt. Although he had distanced himself lately, it had never been this severe before. Perhaps he was only defensive from my earlier reaction but for some reason I felt as if it was more than that. "Sakura had some important things to attend to at the hospital, so I thought I would fill in for her today. Now can we begin and get this over with?" I held up the manilla envelope that had 'Uchiha' printed across the tab. Without waiting for a response, I opened the envelope and pulled out the first page that had twenty or so questions written on it. "How are you feeling today? In more detail than saying 'I'm tired.'" The detail part wasn't written on the sheet, but if I heard him say he was tired one more time I was going to rip off his eyelids so he could never sleep again.

Sasuke sighed softly and stared at the ceiling. "The room is a little stuffy; could really use some air-conditioning or at least a fan in here." He smirked slightly, setting me off even more. Seriously, why did the Uchiha's have the incessant need to piss everyone off all the time?

"I mean emotionally and you know that's what I meant. I don't care to hear about how comfortable your accommodations are right now. They have to be better than a prison cell."

"Being uncomfortable does put a damper on my mentality, you know."

I sighed heavily and slapped the envelope shut once more before throwing it on the bed. "Could you please be serious? This is important."

"You shouldn't be bothering with this. You're the Hokage; shouldn't you be filling out some papers or something? It's not like these sessions are really going to change anything, anyways."

"I don't care if you think this is all a joke, but your health and well-being is not pointless to me and it tops my priority list above all else. I want to help yet you won't let me."

"I do not need help!" he snapped, glaring at me. "I do not need you or anyone else to nurse me back to health. I am perfectly fine."

I couldn't help but laugh humorlessly at that. "If that was true then you wouldn't have felt self-conscious enough to put your shirt back on."

"I put my shirt back on because you were looking at me like I was some sort of monster."

I fell short of a response to that, the guilt practically sucker-punching me. As I tried to conjure up the proper response to reassure him that wasn't the case, Sasuke begun to speak once more.

"I should be used to it by now. After all, no one has looked at me normally since the massacre. People only looked at me with pity and sympathy then, but it wasn't as if they actually cared about my well-being...deep down the only thing they wanted to know was why am I the only one to have survived? Sometimes I ask myself that same question." He looked over at me; I still couldn't come up with a response, so he continued, "when I left the village, everyone stopped looking at me like I was fragile and weak...they looked at me with fright in their eyes like I was the monster capable of killing an entire village with a single look. Most people here seem to think that fact still holds true. Just like that look you gave me, Naruto."

"Hey, that's not fair." I narrowed my eyes slightly. "I may have looked scared, but it's not because I'm scared of you. I've never been scared of you, teme. I am scared _**for**_ you because you seem incapable of feeling that for yourself."

"Fear is a weakness I have learned to suppress. It is pointless to let it consume you because in the end, whatever is going to happen will happen despite how you feel."

"You know that's a crock of bullshit. Fear only makes us human. I have seen you frightened before...I can see it in your eyes even when you're trying to hide it. I know you more than you think and can tell when something is bothering you. Like right now you are scared of what I might think of you. You are scared of me."

"You think I'm scared of you?" He tried to further prove his point as he slowly approached me until there were only a couple of inches separating us. "Are you scared of me, Naruto?"

My entire body tensed due to our close proximity and I barely fought the urge to step away. It was unbearable being so close, especially for feeling the way that I did towards him without his knowledge of it. It made me feel dirty because I knew how wrong it was and knew he would hate me if he was to find out, but I couldn't change how I felt despite all my efforts to do so in the past. Yes, I was scared of him but not for any reasons that he could possibly understand. For a brief moment I was frightened I was going to kiss him as I felt myself involuntarily leaning forward, but when I realized what I was doing I quickly turned my head away and took a step back.

"You really are scared of me." I could hear the hurt in his voice even though he tried to hide it. "You do not trust me."

"I trust you with my life, Sasuke." If I didn't, then I wouldn't have made that pact with the Elders to allow his release. He didn't know that, though, and I didn't plan on telling him either; there was no need to complicate things more than they already were.

This brought a smile to Sasuke's face, though I could tell it was forced. "It's going to take a lot more than words to convince me. But it's okay...I understand. I have given you no reason to trust me."

Without thinking about what I was doing, I grabbed Sasuke's wrist none-too gently while grabbing a kunai out of my pouch with the other hand. There was a flare of surprise in Sasuke's eyes as he tried to pull away but I held on firmly; it wasn't that difficult to accomplish considering I was a lot stronger now than he was. I stared at his palm as I placed the kunai in it before slowly looking up to meet Sasuke's confused gaze. His hand slowly slipped from my hold, almost lifelessly.

"Go ahead, Sasuke. Kill me."

"W-What?"

"You heard me. Go ahead and do it. I'll even make it easy for you and won't even defend myself."

He glared at me and tightened his hold on the kunai. "This isn't funny, Naruto."

"It's not meant to be funny. It's supposed to be proving a point. Now do it. Just do it and quit wasting time!"

"Fuck off."

"Fucking coward." In an instant the kunai was poised at my throat. I didn't blink or bat an eyelash as we stared at one another for the tensest of moments. "Well? What are you waiting for? You're already half-way there. It's just one cut from here."

Although my mind was reeling, there wasn't an ounce of worry that filled my thoughts. At first I had been uncertain of his response, but I knew without a doubt that Sasuke wasn't going to kill me. I'm not sure how exactly I knew that, but I was literally putting my life in his hands to prove to him how much I truly trusted him. And I did with every thread of my being.

All color had drained from Sasuke's face as he stayed frozen in place, staring at me as if he'd seen a ghost. Growing impatient, I grabbed his wrist again and shoved the blade closer to my neck until I felt the cold steel biting into my flesh. There was a moment of panic shining in Sasuke's eyes and I felt his hand slacken on the blade where he was about to release it, so I grabbed his hand with my other hand and clenched it tightly to hold on.

"You can't do it, can you?" When I received no answer, I slowly released my hold on his wrist and as soon as I did, Sasuke ripped the kunai away before looking away. Now that the adrenaline was dying down, I couldn't help feeling relieved that the moment was over. It was cruel trying to push him into that situation, but it had served its purpose.

After releasing a sigh, I held my hand out to him. "Hand me the kunai." He looked at me only long enough to comply and sat it down gently. I clenched the kunai tightly in my palm for a moment before sliding it back in the leg pouch.

A long silence fell over the room as we stood there, neither daring to look at the other. I was beginning to feel ashamed over committing such a cruel act, but in the end it had to be done. Sasuke needed proof that I truly trusted him and putting my life on the line was the only way I knew how. Even though he looked traumatized right now, I knew it had been the right call.

"Do you believe me now?" There was no answer. "I trust you now just as I trusted you back then...nothing has changed. Even when you were fighting alongside Orochimaru and the Akatuski I never once believed that you would have killed me and if you had known they were going to kill me, then you would have stopped them if you were capable. I have that much faith in you, Sasuke, just as I had faith in you that you would come back home when you felt the time was right." When he still didn't answer, I walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Just like I also have faith that this is going to work out. You will be accepted back into the village again if you let me help to make it happen. I'm not going to give up even if you want me to, so you might as well make it easier on yourself and just comply to my plans."

Without any warning, Sasuke reared his fist back and punched me in the jaw with all the power he could muster, making my head snap backwards from the force of the hit. I wouldn't have been more surprised if a giant meteor had crashed into the village and leveled the place to the ground just now. It was brought on so suddenly, I didn't even know what could have evoked such a reaction. The purpose was completely lost on me and I had been so unsuspecting of it, I couldn't help the spike of anger that overwhelmed me.

Before I had time to respond, Sasuke tried punching me again but I caught his wrist in mid-air and squeezed it tightly. He anticipated my next move as I reared my fist back but wasn't fast enough to stop the attack as I punched him under the chin and quickly followed up by bringing my knee up to hit him in the gut. This made him double over in pain, but he quickly recuperated and used his slumped form as an advantage to tackle me to the ground, knocking the breath out of me.

While I was gasping for air, Sasuke used the opportunity to land a couple of quick jabs to my face before I caught both of his fists into my hands and crushed them. Before he could manage another attack, I brought my legs up between us and kicked out as hard as I could, making Sasuke fly over my head and onto his back behind me while never letting go of my death grip on his hands. I flipped myself over until I was straddling his midsection while never losing my grip and glared down at him fiercely.

Just then the door slammed open as the two guards rushed into the room, kunai raised in alarm.

"Don't interfere!" I yelled vehemently, not even bothering to look in their direction. "This is nothing that I can't handle!" I glared down at Sasuke who was merely giving me a blood-smeared grin.

"Sir-"

"I said get out!" I then turned my glare onto them, which made them take a few steps back. They looked unsure of themselves, but something in my expression must have changed their minds as they frantically filed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind them; it was almost as if they were scared of what they had seen, but I couldn't have cared less as I turned my attention back to Sasuke.

I felt the tension suddenly leave Sasuke's body after we were once again left alone, his expression turning somber. It was a little surprising that he was actually surrendering to me and I could only think that he had one of his tricks up his sleeves. For a moment I thought he was going to try putting me under a genjustu and I was about to slap my hands over his eyes, but his next words stopped me short.

"Your eyes are red," he said barely above a whisper.

This caught me off guard and left me momentarily confused for a moment until it came to my attention that the Nines Tail's chakra had seeped through the seams. I closed my eyes in shame and released my hold on Sasuke, quickly clambering to my feet. It had been many years since I lost control of that side and although it was only in the smallest degree, it was a little more than worrying. That side hadn't been brought to light ever since Killer B helped me suppress Kurama, yet Sasuke was capable of bringing that side out again. How was that even possible?

"Do you care to enlighten me and tell me what the hell that was all about?" I asked, finally turning to stare at him intently.

"I'm sick of you acting as if you know everything about me," Sasuke wiped the blood off his lip with his shirt sleeve as he glared at me. "I don't want to hear what you think is best for my well-being, telling me how my future is going to pan out, how my life is going to have this miraculous 'happily ever after.' You have always lived in your own fantasy world and you know nothing of the reality of the situation."

"At least my head doesn't live in a world that is up my own ass like some people I know!" I realized I was losing control of my anger again and took a deep breath, exhaled slowly. "If you think you know so well, then tell me of this 'reality.'"

I could tell he was hesitating, but whether it was due to the lack of a legitimate answer or he simply did't want to say, I couldn't tell for certain. He did eventually tell me, though, and I could only believe he was telling me the truth due to how much I hated his response. "The fact of the matter is...people don't want me here. I know that's rather obvious, but I don't think you realize what exactly that means for _**you**_. Your decision to keep me alive reflects back onto you as the Hokage."

"So you think everyone is losing faith in my ability to make right decisions?" There was no hint of anger in my voice as I said this and I actually smiled. "I already know this, Sasuke, and I've already taken it into consideration. I'm not a complete idiot, you know. You may be right to some degree, but you're not seeing the entirety of the picture. Not everyone is going to agree with every decision a Hokage makes in their lifetime; it has never happened before and I do not expect it to change for my sake. Sure, they may be upset now and may be wary of me for the moment, but it's only going to reflect badly onto me in the end if you prove their suspicions right. There is a such thing as second chances and one has been presented to you on a golden fucking platter if you just have the initiative to take it."

There was a short silence. "What will become of the issue that happened just now?"

I smiled at him amusedly. "I'll be willing to give you a third chance, if that's what it takes."

"And the guards? They're not going to just let this slide."

"You forget that I'm the Hokage. I tell them to do something and they have no choice but to obey unless they want to be incarcerated for disobeying direct orders." I really hated playing as the hard-driven authority, but certain times called for a firm hand. That had been one of the most difficult aspects to learn in my first year as the Hokage, but it was growing on me albeit slowly. "I have been thinking quite a bit on an issue, though." I hesitated to ask because I didn't think he would give me a proper response, anyways. "You know they are necessary, but how have the guards been? Are they performing their duties properly and treating you well?"

He stared at me blankly, making me think he was going to ignore the question but surprised me when he started speaking. "They have been fair. They do as you've instructed, but the complete lack of privacy is tiresome; some are more lenient than others, but it feels as if I never have a moment to myself."

I nodded my head in understanding. "Thank you for letting me know. Now that you're being cooperative about this, I have been thinking about appointing you one set of permanent guards, at least until I feel they aren't necessary, anymore. Do you have any preferences?"

Sasuke seemed surprised by the question and took a moment to think of the best response. "If you are being serious and not just for the sake of changing the subject, then I would prefer it to be someone that I know who doesn't completely hate me completely and who isn't too annoying."

"So...Ino and Lee?"

He just ignored me at my poor attempt to egg him on. "Shino was one of the better guards that I had. He was quiet and gave me more freedom than the rest. I know that has to do with the bugs he plants all around the room, but having insects spying on me every minute of the day isn't as bad as human's watching me getting undressed."

That statement brought a severe blush to my cheeks and I turned away abruptly to look out the window, trying to hide the fact from Sasuke. "Alright, Shino is on the list," I murmured. I was fighting desperately to keep the thoughts of Sasuke's naked body from my mind but it was proving to be difficult. Sure, I'd seen him in all his glory before, when we would go to bath houses together, but we were technically still children back then and no thoughts of the sort were ever there to plague me. "So you do know that Kiba and Shino are sort of package deals, right? Those two have hardly been separated since they were put on a team together. I'm almost certain if Shino was taken away from Kiba for too long, I think Kiba would go into mourning just like a dog."

For a split second I thought Sasuke was going to smile, but he was good at suppressing it. "The most annoying one that I wanted the least." He sighed. "If I want any amount of privacy at all, then I guess I have to take the package deal."

"Hey, don't talk poorly about Kiba. He's...he's changed a lot recently." A soft sigh escaped my lips. "We lost him for awhile an we're finally getting him back, so don't put down his rambunctious nature."

"'Rambunctious.' That's a rather big word for your vocabulary." He paused when I didn't seem amused. "Am I allowed to know what happened? I assume it has something to do with his old dog companion."

I looked over at Sasuke and gave him a small smile, though it quickly disappeared. "Akamaru died from wounds he received on an A-ranked mission. It actually turned into a S-rank when they got to their area of operation due to misinformation on the scouting party's part. Their target turned out to be a rendezvous point for a high-valued V.I.P. that had been on the Anbu's radar for years and they had three times more manpower than they anticipated. Kiba's team put up a good fight, but in the end they had to retreat. The bastards set up traps behind them while they were overwhelming them on the battlefield, so when they were retreating..." I closed my eyes and sighed. "Hinata didn't see the traps and ran right through the middle of the minefield. Akamaru sensed what was about to happen and knocked her out of the way just as a paperbomb exploded. He took a direct hit to save her life. Before they got him back to the medics...they lost him.

"Kiba carried Akamaru all the way back to the village and demanded someone to help him, but no one would and he couldn't understand why. He wouldn't listen to anything anyone had to say because he couldn't accept the fact that he was gone. When it finally dawned on him, he just lost it. He fought anyone who was near him. Hinata was already devastated that she was the cause of another death and couldn't do anything but watch as he tore down the streets, breaking anything he could get his hands on and fighting anyone who tried to stop him. He then went after Hinata, but before he could get to her Shino attacked and knocked him out cold. Kiba was thrown into jail for a few months for the outburst, but honestly could anyone blame him? Those two were practically conjoined twins.

"We didn't just lose one shinobi that day...Kiba has never been the same after that. Things have gotten better since he's had Kaede, but you can tell he's not the same."

"You said that Hinata was upset about getting someone else killed." He paused when he saw how tense I became as I knew what he was going to say next. I don't know what possessed me to tell him any of this, especially that part, and I was beginning to regret being so open with him. "Who else has died in my absence that I know?"

This one took me a moment to collect my composure before I even attempted to answer. "I'm not sure if you remember him, but Pervy Sage...Jiraiya was killed not too long after you left. He was my mentor after you left and taught me most of the techniques that I know now. Lady Tsunade was killed saving the village from it's destruction by the Akatsuki member Pain, but I'm sure you already knew about that. Asuma-sensei was killed by the Akatsuki member Hidan while out on a mission. And...Neji Hyuga was killed. I was being careless and didn't see an attack coming, so Hinata-chan jumped in front of it to save me. Neji then jumped in front of Hinata to take the damage for himself...and he died of his wounds soon after. All because of my own stupidity and he suffered the consequences for it." I looked off to the side and closed my eyes in shame as I tried holding back tears. "I will never forgive myself for letting that happen."

A long silence fell over the room as I allowed myself a moment to grieve. I walked over to the window and leaned against the window sill, peering out to the horizon. That incident had happened long ago, yet it still felt as if it happened yesterday and the pain still cut just as deep as then. We lost a good shinobi that day and many of us lost an even better friend; there was no one else to blame but me for allowing myself to be put in that position and I had to live with my mistakes for the rest of my life.

I was immersed so deeply in my thoughts that I almost forgot I wasn't alone; I didn't even sense Sasuke's approach until he was directly behind me, standing so close I could feel his warmth through our clothing. A shaky breath managed to escape when Sasuke placed a hand on my shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. At first I was confused by the action because I wasn't use to him offering comfort and was even more surprised when I realized that was exactly what he was doing.

"You shouldn't blame yourself, Naruto. It was both of their decisions to make the choices they did and you had no control over that."

"If I didn't get caught in that situation to begin with, then it wouldn't have happened in the first place."

He sighed softly as he dropped his hand but didn't move away. "You must learn to forgive yourself and others for the decisions made on the battlefield. War doesn't have a conscience to preserve life and losses are to be expected. Every individual on the battlefield is responsible for their own actions and they made theirs." He paused for a moment. "Hinata saw something in your life that she believed needed to be preserved, so she made the best decision she saw fit. Neji did the same for her and it would have had the same ending effect if she was put into danger given any other circumstance. It does not matter if she was protecting you; Neji would have died either way to protect her, even if it was in another battle."

With the way his breath tickled the back of my neck when he spoke, I could tell he had his head lowered as well and was lingering right above me. I tensed when I realized the close proximity and straightened my posture just to escape the tingling sensation running down my spine. Sasuke then walked around me to stand by my side and as he did, I turned just enough so we could look at one another. For awhile we stood there in complete silence, neither of us needing to say anything more for the moment. I couldn't think back to a time where we shared such a mutual understanding of what was running through each other's minds, even the things that had been left unsaid between us.

"I'm sorry." Sasuke said it so softly I thought I may have imagined it. It brought a small smile to my face.

"There may still be hope for you after all. Under all that skin and bad attitude, there really is a human being."

He scoffed. "You make me regret being nice."

"It's just so rare, it's surprising is all. That's why everyone acts so shocked when you are actually nice to them. We have always thought you missed that day in class when we went over the definition." I chuckled slightly and I could have sworn the corners of Sasuke's lips turned up in the briefest of smiles. "You know this is going to work, right?"

"No, I don't know...but I'm glad that you can feel so certain about it. I hope you can carry enough optimism for the both of us."

I sighed softly. "You may have missed this day of class as well, but there is a such thing as forgiveness. There is the major possibility that everyone isn't going to accept you as they once did and I honestly don't expect that to happen myself, but the ones who feel that way do not matter. The ones who care for you are the only ones you should care about in return. I care for you, Sasuke, and I forgive you with every thread of my being. If I didn't, then I wouldn't have devoted myself to train as hard as I did and spend years trying to bring you home. If I didn't forgive you, then I wouldn't be standing beside you in this room right now. You're not alone and I hope you never feel that way again because I am your friend; I am your brother. And for this moment we're sharing right now...it was worth every sacrifice to get here. I hope one day you can finally see it as that as well."

I thought Sasuke would have a snarky comeback to that and deny my claims but he was surprisingly quiet. With a quick look from the corner of my eye I could tell the words were beginning to sink in as recognition lit up in his eyes, his features softening a bit as he stared out the window deep in thought. So maybe I wasn't talking to a brick wall after all and even though he acted overwhelmingly stubborn at times, at least I knew my words were slowly seeping through the cracks of the crumbling wall. It was just going to take a little bit of time and patience; Sasuke was going to melt just like the snow outside. From this moment on I made it my new mission to have Sasuke right where I wanted him by the time the snow finished melting with the spring season rolling in. He was going to be content even if it killed me.

"Well, I think I should get going," I said as I backed up a few steps.

Sasuke turned around to watch as I grabbed the portfolio off the bed and sauntered towards the door. "That is a sudden departure."

I turned to him and smirked slightly. "I thought it would be best to stop while I was ahead. Don't worry, though...it's not too long until dinner. Since we're on speaking terms again, I would appreciate it if you would join me later?"

"What's for dinner?"

"If it is something that you like, then will you say 'yes?'"

"Yes, I will."

"Then what do you want?"

He smirked for a fraction of a second before pondering on the question. "Does your cook know how to make good Sukiyaki?"

I smiled at him. "Sukiyaki stew it is, then. If you're not at the table at 7:00 sharp, then I'm sending the kitchen table up to your room and we'll all eat in here. Don't think I won't do it."

"For some reason I believe you. Don't worry...I'll be there."

"Good. I'll see you then." I left the room, shutting the door gently behind me.

* * *

I apologize for the long wait! I have not abandoned the project, I promise you. A lot has been going on lately and I had too many things going on at one time. It doesn't help that I have fifty projects going on simultaneously, either. And I'm sure playing Battlefield 4 on the PS3 doesn't help matters much, either.

So...another chapter and another day! I hope you enjoyed it! :) I'm sure another update will come soon, so keep an eye out. Thank you for tuning in! Donadagohvi! ..\/,


	7. Chapter 7

I haven't forgotten you guys, I promise! It has just been so difficult to find the time to write lately with this new job and all. By the time I get home, I've been too exhausted to do hardly anything and my mind shuts down to the point where it is difficult to write. I have some good news, though! With the Fourth of July just around the corner, I have been given the gift of a four-day weekend! I'm hoping to get at least one chapter in the fic done before I have to go back to work Wednesday. And starting next Saturday, I'm going to try to get a chapter done once per week since I have the weekends off (perks of working at a school woohoo!) So don't give up on me, guys! I'm still hanging in there... xD

So as I was beginning to write the eighth chapter today, I begun to reread over this chapter to refresh my memory and realized just how badly of an edit it needed, so I decided to do a proofreading of it (apparently I didn't do that before posting this chapter last time .), so here is the revised version...

* * *

Chapter Seven

 _ **Sasuke**_

Everything was beginning to seem more complicated with each passing day, but even then things were beginning to fall into place like Naruto had anticipated despite the puzzle pieces falling together only to form a jumbled mess. The picture was far from being perfect, but then again nothing ever was. It was like forcing two pieces together that weren't meant to connect yet I made it work long enough to glue them together to create a work of art that Pablo Picasso would have been proud of. It wasn't perfect, but it was art despite how disfigured it may be. That was how my life was beginning to feel. I was a puzzle being rebuilt to form the general concept of an image while some pieces were missing and others didn't fit altogether, but somehow I was making it work. At least I was putting in the effort to please Naruto because if it hadn't been for him, then I wouldn't have even tried in the first place.

After coming to the revelation about the implications of my return, I had been set on trying to push him away again to spare him the disappointment of damaging his reputation as the Hokage, but he made it near impossible and I was beginning to cave to his will. It was difficult to accomplish what I had planned when he had so much faith placed in me and he knew without a doubt that I could overcome the obstacles I had built around myself. With one look into his cerulean orbs, I could tell he believed in every word that he said and it gave me hope in return that I hadn't possessed in a long time. Naruto Uzumaki may be the most stubborn creature on this planet, but he wasn't dumb and knew exactly what to say to make me stay wanting more. I didn't know what was in store for me along the way, but I knew there was no avoiding Naruto's determination; he had made that blatantly clear.

Nearly a week had passed since Naruto administered the "examination," if you wanted to call it that, and I managed to force myself out of the confines of my room and attempted to be less of the recluse I've been. It was very awkward at first, borderline embarrassing, considering I had forgotten most of my social skills, if I ever really had any to begin with. Naruto was helping a lot with that due to his optimistic demeanor and the fact that he seemed to always have a content smile on his face. He made it look so simple when I could hardly even manage a basic greeting.

It was nearing dinnertime and thought I would go downstairs a little early to see if Naruto was already there waiting, not for any particular reason aside from attempting to act like a civilized human being. Naruto usually didn't arrive from working at his office until around dinnertime, which was around 6:00 every night. During that time, Shino and Kiba remained nearby at all times and were released as soon as Naruto arrived. It was surprising when I learned of this change in development and as long as Naruto was in my presence, the guards weren't needed until Naruto went to bed around midnight. On average I was given six hours of freedom to myself as long as I was within sight of Naruto, not that I was complaining; it made me feel nostalgic for the old days when we would sit around and eat dinner together after a long day of training.

When I reached the dining room, I scanned the room only to realize Naruto hadn't yet arrived much to my dismay. I stood in the threshold for a minute as I was contemplating on returning to my room for a while longer but stopped short when a mop of white hair walked passed my peripheral. When I realized who it was, my eyes widened in surprise.

"Long time no see, Sasuke...Kiba, Shino."

"Hello, Kakashi-sensei," Kiba and Shino said simultaneously.

"If you guys want to head out and call it a night, you can do so; I can take it from here."

"Are you sure?" Shino asked. "We can stay until Naruto-sama returns."

"I'm sure. I'll cover for you because he may be a little late. I want to make sure you guys get some dinner before the shops close."

"If you insist. Thank you, Kakashi."

"We'll owe you one," Kiba said.

I observed in silence as the scene unfolded before me and watched as Kiba and Shino filed out the door. Once they were gone, Kakashi slowly walked over to the dining table and took a seat nearest the end, near the spot where Naruto usually sat. That was the place I usually sat, but I didn't dare comment on it. For awhile I stood in the doorway awkwardly, not knowing what to say or what to do due to my bewilderment. Now out of habit, I started wringing my hands into the fabric of my shirt in nervousness. This was the first time I had seen Kakashi since my return and I was now at a complete loss on how to respond. If only I had been informed of such a confrontation, I would have been better prepared to handle the situation instead of looking like a stick in the mud.

Kakashi looked over at me after a considerable amount of time. "Well? Do you plan on standing there all day or would you like to take a seat and join me?" He tried to put on his casual demeanor, but it was easy to tell he was nearly as tense as I was.

"Sure...thank you." I slowly walked over and took a seat in the adjacent chair. I felt the urge to look at everything in the room aside from Kakashi himself, but I felt compelled not to stare back at him with the same look of indifference he was giving me.

"Did you do something with your hair? I couldn't help but notice that something's different about you, and I can't figure it out. You look a lot different than the last time we met," Kakashi said before leaning back in his chair.

I couldn't help but smirk. "And you look as if you haven't aged a day. It must be from getting lost on the path of life so many times."

He chuckled softly. "I'm surprised you actually remembered that after all this time." There was a short pause, neither of us knowing how to continue the conversation - or at least I didn't, anways; Kakashi was probably remaining silent on purpose as he analyzed every detail he could conjure up about me. "By the way, if you're wondering where Naruto is, he had to wrap up a few things back at the office; he should be here shortly."

"Since you're here, I'm assuming you have business to discuss with him?"

He smirked. "Nothing gets by an Uchiha."

"Should I not be here, then? I do not want to give any reason for anyone to believe I'm trying to gather intel or anything along those lines."

"Why do you ask? Are you trying to say we shouldn't be trusting you with sensitive information?"

I barely refrained from scowling. "I know my words probably do not mean much to you, but I have no intentions of betraying the village again. The reason I ask is because I don't want the seed of doubt to be placed on me. I cannot afford to have something of that caliber hanging over my head right now." I sighed softly. "I know...I got lost on my own path along the way, but I think I found the right direction now and I'm not going to stop until I've reached my destination."

"That is good to hear, Sasuke. I hope that holds true." There was another short pause. "I'm going to be completely honest with you right now and I warn you...you're not going to like what I have to say. I do not fully trust you and I honestly do not believe you should have come back. Does that make me wish you would leave again? Not at all. Naruto has placed his unconditional faith in you and believes that you are truly trying to turn over a new leaf. If that is really the case, then good for you. I'll even help you along the way, if that is what it takes.

"I have complete faith in Naruto to make the right decision and if he believes he made the right call, then I'll support his decision to the ends of the earth. But for his sake I am going to offer you this warning..." He leaned forward in his chair and clasped his hands on top of the table, staring unblinkingly. "If you disappoint him in any way and leave again, you will not be able to run fast enough or dig a deep enough hole to hide in because I will find you, Sasuke...and I won't hesitate to kill you."

I nodded my head in understanding, looking him dead in the eye as I did so. "If that time ever arises, I will even give you my consent to kill me, Kakashi. Do not let Naruto chase after me like last time and make sure another minute of his life is not wasted on me. This scenario will never happen, but I just wanted you to know this. Do not hesitate. For his sake."

"I will try to the best of my capabilities, but you know how Naruto is when he gets the initiative to do something...he will stop at nothing to get what he wants." He sighed as he leaned back in the chair once more. "When you left, I was worried about the both of you, you know. At the time I didn't think you fully understood the implications of what you were doing and I was actually fearful for you; you made your decision in the end, though, and that is the decision you have to live with. There is no changing that.

"I was the one who stood by Naruto's side and saw the effect your departure had on him. For awhile I was truly worried about him and wanted to tell him to give up on his illusions to bring you back, but I couldn't bring myself to break him more than he already was; no one was willing to unleash that burden on him. You may have heard how upset he was, but you will never understand just how deeply that pain was buried. If you were to leave again...I honestly do not believe he would be able to recover from it. That is why I am willing to tolerate you for now to see how this turns out in the end. To protect him, I am willing to give you the chance to prove yourself worthy once again."

A long silence fell over us as I let those words sink in. I wasn't angry with Kakashi in the slightest with his speech and instead, I oddly felt a little better. At least he had given his honest opinion and wasn't purposely trying to sugarcoat his thoughts like the handful of people I had already spoken with. Now that there was a clear air around us, I was content in knowing that he was willing to give me a chance, if only for the sake of Naruto. After all, the only reason I was doing this as well was for Naruto's sake. Kakashi's words drove the message home that there was no room for fuck-ups and I had to get it right this time around; failure was not an option.

Before either of us had the chance to speak again, Naruto walked through the door and relieved some of the tension in an instant. Kakashi and I looked over at the door simultaneously and stood as he entered the room out of respect. Honestly, I didn't ever stand for Naruto if we were alone, but I felt the need to do so in the presence of Kakashi just so he knew I wasn't taken my privelages for granted.

"Please, guys, stop doing that! You are in my personal quarters and do not need to bother with such formalities." That still didn't stop us from standing until Naruto took a seat in his own chair. "I'm sorry it took longer than I thought it would. Sakura-chan brought in some papers from the hospital at the last minute for me to sign, then Iruka came by with the new student registrations...it was all a mess."

"It sounds like you've had a rough day..." I muttered softly, trying to administer small talk.

"You're telling me! I've got a killer migraine and it feels like someone's hitting the side of my head with a hammer."

"Do you need some medications?" Kakashi asked, already beginning to stand but Naruto quickly raised his hand and grabbed him by the wrist, stopping him.

"Sakura-chan gave me something for it earlier. It hasn't had time to kick in, yet, so I'll be fine soon. Besides, it's dinner time."

As if on cue, the maid walked through the kitchen doors, balancing a large tray of food with one hand while carrying a pitcher of tea in the other. One by one, she neatly placed several platters in front of us that consisted of different varieties of sushi along with a large platter of tempura mixed vegetables. She then grabbed three tea cups off the serving tray and poured hot ginger tea into each cup before placing them in front of us, pouring mine last of all.

"I hope you enjoy your dinner," the maid said in her usual soft voice and bowed slightly. "Do you require anything more?" Although she was addressing all of us, she never once looked in my direction. For some reason, whether it was out of fear or shyness, she would never look in my direction and always kept her head lowered. Only once did I ever catch a glimpse of her staring and for the fleeting moment our eyes made contact; she quickly ducked her head and practically sprinted back into the kitchen.

"Everything already looks perfect. Thank you, Kazuko-chan."

"If you need anything more, just ring the bell and I will be right out. In the meantime I will be in the kitchen finishing up dessert." After giving another quick bow, she walked past me, making her way back into the kitchen while not sparing a single glance in my direction. I almost felt guilty for her being so frightened of me, especially since we lived under the same roof but I didn't know any solutions to make her feel any more at ease about the situation.

"Enjoy your food first, then we can conduct our business afterwards, Kakashi." Naruto was already grabbing various foods from the platters and started putting them on his own plate.

I had to admit I was quite surprised Naruto had grown out of his ramen stage a bit, but I was under the impression that was mostly for my sake. We've had the dish a few times since my return, but for the most part there hadn't been another dish that had been repeated yet. It was also surprising how good the food was and for once in a long time I could actually feel my appetite returning; I still wasn't able to eat much at a time, but I could tell I was beginning to put on a bit more weight. Once Naruto filled his plate, I waited until Kakashi did the same before getting my own. My younger self never cared to perform such formalities unless my father was present, but now I waited until everyone else had gotten their food before helping myself. They were all higher ranks than me when I was little more than scum on the bottom of their sandals, so they were more entitled to the food than I was.

"You guys are being awfully quiet." Naruto said once he swallowed his last piece of sushi. "Did something happen while I was away?"

I looked over at Kakashi as he offered an explanation, considering I didn't know how much he actually wanted to admit about our conversation. "Nothing is wrong at all. We just spoke briefly with one another while we waited for you. It went surprisingly well considering we haven't spoken in nearly a decade."

"I agree," I said softly, not knowing what else to say. Awkwardly, I continued eating the last of my tempura purple potatoes.

"I'm glad to hear that, because this is technically one of the reasons why I invited you." Naruto grinned, and for some reason it made dread seep through my pores. "I want you guys to get reacquainted with one another because Kakashi...I want you to train Sasuke again."

" _What?"_ Kakashi and I said in unison. We looked over at one another incredulously before turning back to Naruto.

"You can't be serious," Kakashi said, rubbing the back of his neck furiously.

"I do _ **not**_ need to be trained. I am more powerful than you could ever imagine." Perhaps that wasn't the best thing to say, but I had to try defending my honor in some way.

Naruto quirked an eyebrow. "Then why don't you prove it?" He was clearly having fun with this.

I was quickly growing impatient and could barely keep a level voice,"Becuase I don't want to die, dobe."

"And no offense, but neither do I," Kakashi added. I didn't think he meant it as a strike towards his own lack of ability for I knew he was one of the powerful shinobi in the village, but I didn't ask him to clarify.

He scoffed and crossed his arms. "I'm not talking about a fight to the death, guys. I'm just saying the occasional friendly sparring match. Working out and practicing taijutsu tactics just to get Sasuke out of this damned house a bit."

I released a heavy sigh and rubbed my temples with my fingertips, feeling a headache coming on myself. Kakashi and I had a mutual agreement that this was going to end badly, but Naruto had clearly already made his decision. There was no way this could end on a good note, but trial and error was how people learned, I suppose. Although I didn't particularly like the idea of being the pawn to learn that lesson when I already knew the ending results, I would do it to satiate Naruto's mind.

"With all due respect, I do not think that is such a good idea," Kakashi said. He placed his elbows onto the table and formed a steeple with his hands.

"But why not? I was speaking with Sakura about it earlier and we were thinking some physical activity would do him some good to help speed up his healing process."

"Don't talk as if I'm not here," I said, glaring. "You act as if I'm just coming back from the brink of death and need to be rehabilitated."

"Well, technically...that is true to some extent." I had to give him kudos for that one. "But you have to admit you've lost your physique over the years. This will also help you mentally as well if you return to some of your former routines."

I pinched the brim of my nose in frustration. "No matter what I have to say it's not going to change your mind, is it?"

"Hmm...not really. You do not have a choice in the matter."

"May I speak for a moment?" Kakashi cleared his throat to catch our attention. "I would just like to know...why are you wanting to help the threat get back into fighting condition?"

Naruto turned a glare in his direction. "Sasuke is not a threat to us. Can't you see he's changed?"

"And are you too blind to see that he may have you right where he wants you?" That one stung, but I didn't comment on it.

"You're out of line, Kakashi!"

He sighed and placed his hands back in his lap. "You're right...I apologize. I'm just thinking about your safety, is all. After all, you do live under the same roof as him. You might as well put a kunai in his hand so he can stab you in the back with it."

"I've already done that." It felt like all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room from the heavy atmosphere the tension had created. A kunai probably couldn't cut trhough the air even if one was in my hand. The worse kind of silence filled the room as Kakashi met my gaze, staring daggers into my soul. I felt that at any moment he would pounce over the table and try to stab me himself; if he had I probably would have let him, too, because I wouldn't fight him back.

"I'm sure I heard you incorrectly." Kakashi reluctantly peeled his gaze from me and finally turned to look at Naruto.

"You heard right, Kakashi." Naruto narrowed his gaze at him. "I put a kunai in Sasuke's hand and ordered him to kill me. Hell, I even made it easy for him and forced his hand to my throat." To prove his point, he pulled aside his shirt collar to show a small, fresh scar that was about two inches long on his neck; I hadn't even noticed at the time I broke skin, but there was the clear evidence presented before us. Once he was certain Kakashi saw it, he let go of the shirt and placed his palms flat on the table, sneering at him. "I gave him a clear opening and he refused to take it. If it was in Sasuke's intentions to kill, then he would have done it a week ago when I gave him the opportunity to do it. Sasuke is not here to kill me and I knew that fact so well I even put my life in his hands to prove it."

"How foolish can you be, Naruto?" Kakashi gritted his teeth. "That was the most-"

"I did not invite you to hear another one of your lectures, Kakashi. I did what had to be done and I came out alive; that's the end of the story. If you're going to continue berating me, then you can leave now because I can easily find someone else who will be willing to help." There was another short silence.

"Do you really have this much faith in Sasuke's good intentions?" he asked softly. This time when Kakashi looked in my direction, his gaze had softened as if he begun to accept Naruto's words.

"I really do. If you do not believe me, then why don't you administer the test yourself?" He smirked, clearly satisfied. Even he knew that he had Kakashi's attention.

He sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "If you believe in him that much...I will give him the opportunity to prove it to me first-hand. I'll take you up on the offer, but under one condition," he turned to look at me sternly, "you will obey every command that I give, no questions asked. And if I feel that you have any malicious intent or ulterior motives, then I will not hesitate to do what needs to be done. No exceptions." He didn't have to voice his own intents for everyone in the room to know what he was talking about.

I nodded my head while staring at him intently. "I understand and I agree to your terms."

"Very well, then. Is there a certain time schedule you have planned, Naruto?"

"Preferably, I would like for you to meet at least three times a week, but the days and hours are completely up to you. I just need to know the schedule so I know what to write down on the logs. Would you like for the guards to be on hand during these sessions?"

Kakashi turned to stare at me once more, looking me up and down as if he was able to assuage my abilities right there. "No...no guards. I can handle him myself."

"Very well, then. Thank you for giving him a chance, Kakashi."

"Was there anything more that you wanted to see me about?"

"That will be all for the time being. There is something else that Sasuke and I need to attend to before the day comes to an end." Naruto turned to grin at me.

"There is?" I blinked slowly in a daze, not able to come up with any logical conclusions as to what exactly he needed me to do. He'd never asked for a favor before and hadn't told me to do anything aside from eat, sleep, and take Sakura's mental examinations...

"You have another examination that must be completed today."

I inwardly groaned. "But the next one isn't until tomorrow..."

"Well, I changed my mind." He then stood up. "Trust me, you're going to enjoy this one. We're taking a little field trip, so grab your coat."

"What...you mean now?" Although it would be a relief to get out of the house for awhile to get some fresh air, I still didn't feel comfortable with whatever Naruto had in store. I could tell just from his mischievous grin that I wasn't going to like this in the slightest. I sighed softly and stood up, making my way to his side.

"Would you like for me to accompany you?" Kakashi asked, already beginning to stand.

"Don't worry about it; I have it covered. While we're gone, I want you to stay and enjoy your dessert before taking off...that is an order. Don't think that I'm not going to ask Kazuko-chan if you ate when I get back because I will find out. This shouldn't take long, but if we're not back by the time you finish eating, then have a good night, okay?"

Albeit reluctantly, Kakashi slowly sat back down. "Alright." Just as we started walking away, Kakashi called my name, making me come to a halt. Naruto was already in the hallway grabbing his winter gear, but I knew he was still within hearing range. "Look out for him while you're out there, okay? Believe it or not, there are more threats out looking for him than just yourself."

"I won't let anything happen to him...you have my word." I paused for just a moment. "Have a good night, Kakashi-sensei. It really was good to see you again."

He actually smiled from underneath his mask. "It's good to know that you've finally found your path...Sasuke."

I spared Kakashi one last glance just as I rounded the corner, disappearing into the foyer. Naruto was already there, already dressed to go with a messenger bag slung over his shoulder. Without a word, I put on my heavy winter boots, coat, mittens, and ear muffs before looking over at Naruto. I was caught off guard to notice that he had been staring at me intently and I could have sworn he blushed from being caught. It was a little embarrassing even for myself as I felt the heat rise to my own cheeks, but I kept staring back at him as if nothing was astray, although it did bother me immensely.

"Am I allowed to know just why you are taking me outside in twenty degree weather at eight o'clock at night?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"What I have planned can only be done during the nighttime. There aren't as many prying eyes out to see what we're going to be doing."

"What _**are**_ we doing?" This was getting more dreadful by the second...

"I want to show you something," was all he was willing to say. Just as Naruto opened the front door, a blast of cold air shot through the foyer, chilling me instantly to the core. This was just stupid going out this late and I was for certain one of us was going to get sick, but the cold didn't even seem to faze Naruto as he walked outside, disappearing into the dark. With no other choice I followed after him. Just as I was shutting the door, I caught a glimpse of Kakashi's form leaning against the door facing with arms crossed, staring directly at me; the moment only lasted a moment as the door clicked shut, putting a wall between us though I could still feel his gaze burning through the door.

I quickened my pace to catch up with Naruto who was already at the end of the yard waiting for me. As we started walking again, I kept a cautious eye on my surroundings, not knowing what to expect. No one else was dumb enough to be out in this freezing weather aside from the two of us and the few shinobi unfortunate enough to have the night watch. A pair of Anbu passed nearby just as we reached the edge of the forest and even through their masks I could tell they were staring holes through our skulls, mine in particular. They didn't bother us as they disappeared out of sight, but I knew they would most likely have eyes on us throughout the rest of our excursion...wherever it was we were going.

"We're going into the forest?" I asked wearily. "Are you sure that is such a good idea, especially alone?"

"Lighten up, would you? You're starting to sound like everyone else."

"You're always riding my ass, so what's the difference?" Naruto let out a single cough and turned his head away quickly. At first I didn't understand why he reacted that way but when I came to the realization, my face ignited like a furnace. "I-I..." _**'Will shut the fuck up now.'**_

"Well...this is definitely awkward." Naruto laughed nervously and it only made me feel more embarrassed.

"Just drop it, alright? We know what point I was trying to get across. End of story." I still couldn't look at him because I was sure my cheeks were glowing brighter than the brightest stars in the sky. Now that the thought had been implanted, it was searing a hole in my mind and was beginning to drive me crazy. There was no way in hell I would allow something like that to happen between us, yet I couldn't get the image out of my head despite my efforts. I was finally getting back on Naruto's good side again and I could now consider him something like a brother to me...that was all there was ever going to be between us. It had to be.

I dared a sidelong glance in Naruto's direction and noticed he was staring right back at me again. I scowled, trying to look annoyed before staring straight ahead. "Are we almost there?"

"Actually...we are here." I came to a stop simultaneously as Naruto and looked around. There was nothing here but snow, the bare limbs of the trees, the cold wind, and more snow. A growl of frustration built up in my throat as I turned to Naruto once more. "This is what you wanted to show me? There's nothing here, dobe."

He smiled at me and pointed towards the sky before looking up himself. "Look up and tell me what you see."

I shook my head in disbelief but still obliged to his wishes as I craned my neck to see what he found so fascinating. At first I didn't see anything but a mountain, but upon closer inspection I could just make out the faces on the Hokage monument looming over us. I hadn't even noticed we were walking in this direction nor did I believe we'd trekked out this far, yet the proof was in front of us and less than a quarter of a mile away. It had been a long time since I'd been this close to the monument and never before had I stood directly under it...it was a lot taller than I thought as a kid. The mountain towered over us and it seemed as if the Hokage's were staring down at me, the moonlight casting shadows over their features to make it appear as if they were scowling in disappointment.

This was what he had so eagerly needed to show me this late in the night? We could have just looked out my bedroom window to see the monument instead of risking hypothermia and frostbite to please Naruto's whim.

"This is what you wanted me to see?" I couldn't hide the annoyance in my voice. I was cold, my toes were numb, and I just wanted to get back and melt in a tub of hot water. "I'm going home." I turned around and started heading back.

"Do you know what this place is? This exact spot where we're standing?"

I came to a halt and turned to stare at Naruto who had his back to me, still staring up at the monument. "I haven't a clue." I was assuming he wasn't looking for me to state the obvious.

"This is the field of dreams. Twenty years ago I was standing in this very spot when a single thought stormed into the mind of one stubborn, naive child. I was staring up at the monument just as I am now and I could see my own face etched into the mountain alongside the rest of them. I knew without a doubt from that very day I was going to become Hokage even if it killed me. Failure would not be accepted and I wouldn't settle with anything less...that much I knew. The power wasn't what I wanted the most; it was the last thing I really cared about. I wanted to earn the respect of my peers and elders."

My heart constricted painfully in my chest upon hearing that. Slowly, I walked over to him until I was standing right beside him. He didn't even look in my direction as he kept his eyes glued on the monument, smiling brightly. How he could stay so optimistic and happy all the time was beyond me, especially when he was talking about his tough childhood.

"That is one of the reasons why I acted out in class all the time, to get people's attention because I was growing tired of everyone ignoring me. Even though I was still being scorned by everyone, at least they were finally acknowledging my existence." He spared a look at me, his blue eyes glistening in the moonlight as I realized just then that there were tears threatening to fall. It broke my heart to see him like this, but he still continued to smile even through his sadness. "I knew it wasn't going to be an easy journey, but I couldn't be an outcast and the freak for the rest of my life. I had to do something about it...and I did. It was one hell of a journey to get here with plenty of sacrifices, bloodshed, sweat, and tears...but I've finally made it. Everyone respects me now and sees me as somebody."

I wanted to wipe his tears away to comfort him and I felt my hand rising to do so, but it fell limply by my side once more. A long silence fell over us as we stared at one another, his words just now beginning to sink in. Finally it donned on me why he brought me here and the meaningless hike suddenly had all the meaning in the world.

My eyes turned back towards the monuments as I spoke, "that is why you brought me here. You believe I am in the same position you were in long ago and you want me to believe I can change my fate as you did...am I right?"

Naruto's hand reached up and grabbed me by the chin gently, surprising me as he slowly turned my head to stare at him once more. Even though he wasn't wearing gloves, his hands felt as hot as flames licking at my skin. How was that even possible?

"Everyone can change their fate as long as they put in the effort and time...even you. If I can come from the very bottom and rise to the top, I know you can, too. Fight to become the best you can be and prove to everyone that you can do it. Prove it to yourself." He then grinned. "Remember how we used to make everything into a challenge to see who would win?"

I smirked. "Yeah...I recall kicking your ass most of the time."

He scoffed. "Do you want to put your money where your mouth is, teme?"

"I have no money and you know it."

"Then why don't we make a bet?" His grin held a bit of michief in it. I didn't like where this was headed, but I never was one to back down from a challenge, especially where Naruto was concerned. "If you win, I will do one thing that you tell me to do no matter how degrading or idiotic it is. And if I win...you have to do one thing for me...anything that I say no matter what."

"Hn. You've got yourself a deal."

"Alright, then. The first one to the base of the cliff wins."

"Go for it."

"On three..."

"Three." I knew it had been poor sportsmanship on my part, but it didn't stop me from taking off at full speed towards the mountain. My lungs burned fiercely almost immediately upon starting and I could feel just how weak my legs really were, but I continued my dead sprint as quickly as I could manage. Of course it hadn't been enough, though, as Naruto ran up behind me and quickly took me.

"See you at the finish line, cheater," Naruto said before laughing. He then sped up his pace and disappeared somewhere up the hill.

I gaped as I stared at his quickly receding form and tried picking up the pace lest I lose him completely or got picked up by a group of Anbu for desertion. Couldn't he have waited until warmer weather to be doing this kind of thing? I always hated running in the winter for the icy wind stung my nose and throat as if I'd swallowed a hive of hornets; it was quite ironic for someone who supposedly had a heart as cold as mine to hate the winter. It probably took me nearly twice as long to reach the cliff facing and when I finally arrived, he was there with a shit-eating grin plastered on his face, not even the least bit winded.

I was panting harshly by the time I made it to his side and cursed under my breath between pants. I was a lot weaker than I thought and I hated Naruto for seeing me so vulnerable. "Two out of three," I said tensely as I fought for control of my breathing.

"Are you sure? You already owe me one favor and you look like you're already about to pass out. I would really hate to take advantage of the situation." I wished I could punch that smug look off his face right about now...

"I said two out of three."

"Fine, if you're so willing to lose again." I couldn't lose...not a second time. I had to win this one so I could cancel out the favor I already owed and get the third point for the win.

"I hope you haven't forgotten how to climb."

' _ **I hope I haven't, either.'**_ "To the top of the cliff?" I looked up at the peak and noticed it was a little less of a distance than the sprint we just performed. That didn't seem like much, but that was a lot of leg power going up a near vertical incline...power I didn't think I had. There was no way I was going to back out now, though. "Okay...you're on."

"Want a ten-second head start?"

' _ **I'm getting really close to hitting him again...'**_ "Just do the count down..."

For the first leg of the race I was able to keep up with Naruto fairly easily. He weighed nearly double my weight in muscle and was being slowed down by the fact, so it was a bit easier than I anticipated scaling the wall. For a moment I actually believed I was going to overtake him, but my legs were quickly beginning to tire out. When he started to pass me, I decided to try a new approach and placed myself flat on the cliff, beginning to climb up the facing like you would climb a tree. As I started to catch back up with him, I could see the surprise in his eyes and eventually we were neck-and-neck once more. Even though the race couldn't have lasted more then a couple of minutes, it still felt a lot longer than that and the finish line looked like it was growing farther and farther away. I used the last bit of strength I had for the final push until I burst over the peak and flew a few feet in the air before landing on solid ground. I tried landing on my feet, but my calves were screaming so badly I could only collapse to my hands and knees.

"I must admit I was worried there for a minute. You were only a second behind me." Naruto reached down to offer me his hand, but I swatted it away harshly. It threw me off balance when I did so and I fell backwards onto the ground in a sitting position.

"Kiss my ass," I said, panting more heavily than the first sprint. I clutched at my side which had begun to cramp up badly.

"Sorry, but no can do. You lost the bet, so you are the one who owes _**me**_ the favors. Both of them." Even though I wasn't looking at him, I could sense his grin.

"What...what are you wanting me to do?"

He didn't bother to answer the question as he begun to rummage through his messenger bag. For a moment I was at a loss as I watched warily, but when he pulled out a black canister the puzzle piece clicked into place.

"No... _ **hell no**_." I stumbled to my feet, still clutching my side. "You had this planned the entire time, didn't you?"

"And you fell so easily into my little trap, too." He tossed the canister at me but it bounced off my chest when I didn't try to catch it and it fell to the ground with a soft thud in the snow.

"You've really lost it this time, Naruto. I am not doing this."

"I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice in the matter. Unless you want to bring dishonor to yourself for backing out of our bet?" He raised an eyebrow as if daring me, knowing that was the one thing that would get me to act.

I bit the inside of my cheek to prevent myself from telling him off. A metallic tang began to fill my mouth as blood started seeping from the wound. "Is there any way you will reconsider? This is just...stupid. Childish. This is something _**you**_ would do and have done so on many occasions."

"Would you quit your whining?" He closed the distance between us and shoved a large paintbrush into my chest and didn't remove his hand until I snatched it from him. Although we couldn't see the faces from here, he pointed in the direction of his carving. "My face has been etched into this monument for over a year now and I've been looking out my window every day to see if anyone has vandalized it like I used to do, yet it hasn't been touched since it was erected. I think it's time that changed. Naruto Uzumaki is in desperate need of a makeover and you're going to give it to him."

I shook my head in disbelief, not knowing what else to say. Reluctantly, I bent down and picked up the canister of black paint before walking to the edge. This really was going to be a test of strength to be able to pull this off without plummeting to my death, but I doubt Naruto took notice in my lack of physical conditioning at the moment as he was riding on the high of having the upper hand over me.

"I expect it to be done quickly so we can get out of here before anyone notices." I highly doubted it was going to be possible without being seen for I was almost certain the Anbu from earlier were posted somewhere in the woods to keep an eye on us. Someone passing by was also bound to notice the Hokage's and I's chakra presences fluctuating due to the chakra used to scale the cliffside. If Naruto wasn't going to worry about it, though, then neither was I. Although this was kind of a blow to my pride and self-esteem...

"Just know that I'm only doing this so I can get out of the cold quicker," I said just before jumping down and landing on the hunk of rock that was Naruto's nose. Without given much of a choice, I set to work...

It took about half an hour to finish what I had been forced to do. By now I was sweating profusely, which was a bad sign when it was below freezing out as hypothermia could quickly set in if I didn't get out of the cold soon. I threw the now-empty canister and the half-frozen paintbrush down the cliff and heard it's soft thud as it hit the ground below. I could barely move my legs by this point from the exertion and was worried about the very real possibility that Naruto may have to carry me off of this rock and to the house, which was embarrassing to even think about.

"Naruto, I'm done!" I yelled to the top. "Meet me at the bottom because I'm not coming back up." Without waiting for a response, I jumped off Naruto's nose and used my chakra to grab onto the cliffside as I made a controlled slide to the bottom. It didn't take long for Naruto to follow suit and jumped down the facing in only a few leaps, landing by my side in an effortless landing. Without speaking a word to one another, we walked back to where we had stood before the footrace and turned back to look at the mountain.

I stared at Naruto from the corner of my eye as he stared up at the monument blankly. For a moment I thought he was mad at me that had I actually went through with it and believed he was having second thoughts about the entire thing. "Well, what do you think?" I asked anxiously, beginning to wring my shirt sleeves.

As if jostling Naruto out of a daze, he started chuckling a bit until it escalated into a full crescendo of laughter that echoed off the mounatin's walls and bounced back into the forest for miles. I watched, dumbstruck, as he laughed his heart out and it was actually contagious to watch. Before I knew it I was laughing as well, even surprising myself. I couldn't recall a time where I had laughed once since the Uchiha massacre, yet here I was sharing one of the biggest ones with Naruto. It did feel pretty good to be able to release some of the pent-up stress and it felt so carefree, so...normal. I didn't even think the painting was really that funny, but there was something about hearing Naruto's laughter that made me come undone at the seams.

"I can't believe you actually did it!" he exclaimed, grinning like a madman. "I thought you'd just sit up there for awhile and pretend to do it, but you actually did it!"

I flushed slightly and looked away from him. "I knew you weren't going to leave me alone about it until you got your way. And you drug me all the way out here, so I might as well do something with the time that was wasted. Do I at least get an A on my art project?"

"I'd say you well exceeded that."

On the monument, Naruto's whiskers were made into lightning bolts and his mouth was a large squiggly line from where he was being electrocuted. His eyes also had swirls over them that resembled the Uzumaki clan symbol. Even I had to admit that I had outdone myself.

"I hate to rush and ruin the moment, but can we head back now? I am soaked in sweat and I really don't want to fight hypothermia tonight."

Naruto looked over at me and noticed my partially drenched clothes. A look of guilt crossed his features and he nodded. "Yeah, let's go. I'm sorry...I should have waited until it warmed up a bit to make you do this, but when a stroke of genius hits, you just have to go with the flow, you know?" He repositioned the bag on his arm and started heading in the direction of the village.

"Don't worry about it, Naruto. Dare I say…I actually enjoyed myself."

He looked over at me, shocked. "You mean…you're capable of such an emotion, Uchiha?"

"Don't ruin the moment, dobe."

He laughed before we fell into silence once more. We barely spoke on the walk back to the house as each step was spent in pure agony. My legs were taut and felt as if they were going to completely seize up the moment I sat down to relax and it felt as if I was carrying two-hundred extra pounds on my back given how exhausted I was. I knew it wasn't that much activity, but considering I had starved myself for the better part of four months, I was surprised I had lasted this long. The cold was also beginning to seep through my clothing, making me shiver uncontrollably.

Just as I had suspected, we had some spectators as we passed by what I was for certain the same group of Anbu from earlier. This time they were standing motionless aside from the slow craning of their heads as they followed our movement. I didn't pay them much mind as I was too cold and miserable to even care; as long as they didn't bother us, then they were not my problem. Not a moment too soon, we made it back to the house and the very moment I walked through the threshold I immediately started shedding off my clothes, leaving only my shirt and jeans on.

"A-Are you not cold?" I barely managed to ask. My teeth were chattering together so hard I thought they might shatter.

"Not really. I've grown pretty immune to it," he said, smiling at me apologetically. "You really need to get those clothes off and take a hot shower before you die of hypothermia. Follow me."

I started to protest because I didn't want him to see how weak I really was, but there was no need to lie about it. It didn't take a genius to know I was on the cusp of freezing to death and anyone could come to that conclusion with a simple glance in my direction. From that moment as I stared at Naruto's caring expression, I realized that if I was ever injured, despite how minor a wound it may be, or if I was ever in any type of trouble, Naruto would always be there to help me and wouldn't hesitate to do so. That was what it meant to be a comrade, being there for one another despite the difficulty of a situation, and I was awed at the realization that he never stopped defending me throughout the years even when it wasn't deserved. Never before have I witnessed such undying devotion to anyone I'd come across in my travels aside from maybe high-ranking officials, but even then there was usually a line that some people would draw even for them... Not Naruto Uzumaki. I was a nobody who didn't even have a rank, anymore, yet he still managed to stay by my side after all these years. What I couldn't understand was...why? Why was I the golden rule of exception in his eyes?

Without another word, we ascended the staircase and made my way into the bedroom. As soon as I got there, I walked over to the dresser where my sweatpants and undershirts were before pulling them out blindly; I could have grabbed one of Sakura's dresses and probably wouldn't have even noticed in my haste. I quickly peeled off the nearly soaked shirt and tossed it one the ground before beginning to do the same with my pants...that was when I realized Naruto was still in the room staring directly at me. I couldn't help the blush that found it's way somehow to my frozen cheeks.

"What?" was I all could say. My breath hitched as he made his way towards me and suddenly grabbed both of my hands in his which caused my blush to redden tenfold, but I didn't look away.

He stared at me another moment before finally looking down at my hands. "Your hands are practically blue and you could barely move them while opening the drawer. You should really take a hot shower and thaw out."

"I'll be fi-"

"I'll run the bath for you." Before I could say anything more, he disappeared into the bathroom.

I gawked at his retreating form and continued to stare at the doorway long after he disappeared behind it. He wasn't serious...he couldn't be serious. Sure enough, though, I heard the faucets being turned on full blast a few moments later followed by a few clatters. You would think I was a child who was too helpless to help themselves! Steam quickly began to fill up the bathroom and started pouring into the bedroom like a cloud of fog moving over a lake.

My body was aching for plenty of reasons, but a new ache joined the rest as my body practically begged to be thrown into the water. Hesitantly, I walked into the bathroom and saw that Naruto already had my towel hanging on the hook near the tub. We both remained silent as the tub was filled to max capacity before he leaned over to turn the water off. He then turned to look at me and motioned towards the water.

"Well?" he asked, motioning towards the tub. "Heaven awaits."

"I hope you don't think you're going to watch." I could feel a blush rising at the prospect but it could have been blamed on the quickly escalating heat of the room...I hoped.

"It's no different than a bath house, is it?" he asked casually, taking a seat on the toilet lid.

"Completely different. There's plenty of room in a bath house to stay clear of others while this is close quarters and in view for all to see."

"Why? Got something to hide?" He grinned mischievously and crossed his arms.

My blush intensified, but I glared at him to try counteracting it. Kami, why was he doing this to me? "I just don't want to make you jealous, is all. Besides, haven't you had enough entertainment for one day? Can't I just take a bath in peace?"

"But what if you fall asleep and start to dr-"

"Get. Out."

Naruto sighed and held his hands up in surrender as he stood. "Fine, fine…" After giving me one last glance and a teasing smile, he walked out, shutting the door gently behind him.

I let out a soft sigh and wiped the condensation off the mirror to look at my reflection. For so long I had intentionally avoided looking into a mirror for I was always greeted by a face I hardly recognized, a face that was as cold as the worst winter night and a hardened gaze that could cut through steel. It was the same expression that plagued my thoughts every day because it had also belonged to the one man I had devoted my life to track down and destroy. I had inherited that same merciless expression from him in the process and some nights I could almost see the crimson trails splattered on my own face just as Itachi had worn the night he bled our clan dry. Once I had discovered the truth behind Itachi's death, I felt nothing but resentment towards the entire world for the burden they had placed on my brother's soul. Everyone was my enemy and the world had become my battlefield. It made me sick to my stomach just thinking about it.

As I stared at my reflection, I still couldn't recognize the eyes of their owner. My eyes held something that I hadn't possessed in a long time and I was beginning to think it was nonexistent anymore. The eyes staring back at me almost had an aura of content in them and for a moment it felt as if I was staring back at myself when I was a child. How could someone like me wear such an expression so easily after sharing only a few short-lived moments of happiness when not even a month ago I had embraced death so closely? The answer came surprisingly easy: Naruto. The blond was a flicker of candlelight guiding my way through the darkness of the night, a light at the end of the tunnel. Even though I could see it more clearly now, it was still too far away to grasp but one day I hoped to be bathed in the warmth of that light. For now, though, I was simply content with the little known fact that all hope wasn't lost for me after all. It was a slow process, but the darkness was beginning to peel away like a snake shedding its skin and the prospect was exhilarating.

The mirror had begun to fog up again and made my reflection slowly disappear which snapped me out of my thoughts. After stripping out of my remaining clothes, I slowly slipped into the scalding water and hissed at the heat that enveloped me. It was nearly painful as I was scalded by the heat, but it actually felt nice when the cold begun to dissolve from my bones. In no time at all I could feel myself growing sleepy and before I knew it, I was out like a bolt of lightning...

The sound of someone yelling my name brought me abruptly out of my slumber and something falling in the water nearly made me jump out of my skin. When someone reached over and clutched onto my shoulders, I was at full alert. At first I thought I was being attacked and reached up to grab hold of the intruder's shirt with one hand while clenching my other hand around their neck. When I realized it was only Naruto, I scowled in anger and shoved him back harshly until he fell into the other side of the large tub with me.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I asked angrily. I was about to kick him for good measure but the look of fright in his expression stopped me dead. It actually struck a little fear in myself. "Naruto..? What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" He splashed me in anger. "I thought you were dead! How could you play such a cruel prank on me like that?!"

"I wasn't doing anything but sleeping." It took me a moment to realize what he was insinuating and I felt taken aback. "Did you think I killed myself?"

"I didn't know what to think!" He splashed me again before standing up in the tub. "I was waiting in the bedroom for you to finish up, but I didn't hear anything from you for awhile and after half an hour passed I was getting worried. When I came in, you weren't moving and had your eyes closed, so what else was I supposed to think?"

"That I was asleep, like a normal person would believe." I could see where he was coming from, though, and I was beginning to feel guilty for making him worry like that.

"Well, maybe next time you can decide to sleep in a _**bed**_ like a normal person." He tried kicking the water to splash me, but he lost his footing and slipped.

It all happened so fast I didn't even have a chance to steady him, but I did manage to break his fall as he landed directly on top of me, his face only a few centimeters from my own. We were both frozen in place as we stared at one another, neither of us making a move to get away. I didn't know how much time passed as we remained transfixed in one another's gaze, but an eternity could've passed and I wouldn't have known. Naruto's face was still etched with worry but all signs of anger had been replaced by surprise and another emotion I couldn't quite read. His eyes weren't the only thing I could focus on, though...

' _ **How easy it would be to kiss him right now…'**_

My heart skipped a beat as the thought crossed my mind and I felt a moment of panic rise. It was such an unexpected thought I didn't know how to react or what to do to get out of the situation I had been placed in. "I-I'm sorry," I finally said in barely a whisper, not knowing what else to say. The last thing I wanted was for this moment to end, but if he didn't move I was going to do something I knew I'd regret. My words were enough to shock Naruto back to his senses and he quickly scurried out of the tub and out of reach before turning his back to me.

"Yeah, well don't do it again," he said, breathlessly. I watched in a daze as he used his hands to shake off the beads of water clinging to the ends of his hair. "And don't trip me like that again."

I scoffed and sat up. "What? I…" I pinched the brim of my nose in frustration. "Never mind. I'm not in the mood to argue with you." I pulled the plug out of the drain before standing up myself. I didn't know whether the water had melted my bones along with the cold, my uncollected nerves going haywire, or the exertion from the field trip beginning to set in, but my arms and legs felt like jelly as I stepped over to grab my towel before quickly covering myself up. I was growing more anxious by the minute, wishing that Naruto would just leave for I felt a familiar warmth coiling up in the pit of my stomach and travelling straight to my groin.

 _ **'What the hell is happening to me?'**_

"Here," I said, throwing another towel on Naruto's head before taking a seat on the toilet so he couldn't see the growing bulge from underneath my towel. "I don't want you to get the carpet wet when you leave."

Naruto snatched the towel away before taking off his drenched shirt and begun to dry his hair in silence. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't pull my gaze away as I remained transfixed on his every movement. His toned muscles twitched with every motion and rippled under his skin hypnotically. Before I left the village, Naruto had been almost as scrawny as myself and was one of the shortest kids in our class; now in his adulthood, he packed on quite a bit of muscle and towered over me by at least half a foot. Even though he wasn't facing me I could still see his face through the reflection of the now steam-free mirror. His face was flushed despite the room having cooled off long ago and a few strands of wet hair was plastered to his forehead. I had to admit I was a sucker for wet hair, but never before had I fawned over such a fact from staring at my half-naked best friend. As he started drying the rest of his body, I couldn't help my eyesight from travelling lower to notice his well-toned chest and six-pack that was just as tan as the rest of his body from endless days of training under the scorching summer sun; how he managed to avoid farmer tan lines, I would never know. My eyes continued to travel even lower, but right at the last moment I quickly averted my gaze from seeing something that I possibly did or did not want to see.

' _ **What the hell are you doing? You're an idiot for thinking such thoughts. What do you think Naruto would do if he found out what you were thinking? You would lose him and his respect forever.'**_ Just as the thought crossed my mind, Naruto looked up and caught me staring back at him in the mirror's reflection. When our eyes met I could have sworn I nearly had a heart attack. I knew I had been caught, but I continued staring as casually as I could because to look away quickly would mean that I was guilty of something and it would have given away more information than I was willing to give.

"What are you staring at?" he asked after a moment, now turning around to look at me.

"Nothing," I muttered softly, trying to sound indifferent; I wasn't certain if he bought it, though, as his emotions gave nothing away. "I'm just waiting for you to get out so I can dry myself and get dressed." I ran my hand through my dripping hair to shake away some of the excess water.

"Why are you so finicky about dressing alone? I mean, we used to do this all the time in the bathhouses, right? I thought it was because you were embarrassed to show how skinny you are but you don't seem to have a problem with that now." Damn. why did he have to be so perceptive, now of all times.

"I just-" I was struck silent when he pulled his pants off unexpectedly, bringing his boxers down at the same time in one quick motion. I quickly averted my gaze, blushing intensely. "Jesus, Naruto! Don't you have any self-respect?"

"I have plenty," he scoffed, trying to sound offended. "Lighten up, would you? You're acting as childish as an academy student. Unless…" Every muscle in my body tensed from already having a good idea what he was about to say. From my peripheral I saw movement and knew he'd finally put his towel around his waist much to my relief. Wearily, I looked back over at him to see the grin plastered on his face. "Have you turned gay on me?"

Even though I had been expecting that very question, I still hadn't been able to hide my shock of hearing it said aloud. There was no way possible I could have covered my blush or turned from view this time. "Tch. You are an idiot..." I mumbled under my breath. "I don't think you can suddenly become gay. It's not like deciding what outfit you want to wear that day and change into it. I have to admit that I'm quite insulted you'd accuse me of such a thing."

Naruto fell silent for awhile and finally averted his gaze from me, even going as far as to turn away so I couldn't see his reflection in the mirror anymore. "There's nothing wrong with being gay. If you are, you should know I won't judge you for it." For some reason I actually doubted that. It was merely a ploy to try eliciting the truth out of me, that was all this was.

"It's unnatural." I tried swallowing the lump in my throat.

"If that's how you feel about it, then I can't force you to change your mind. We came to that conclusion a long time ago after all, didn't we, Sasuke?" He turned back to me and gave me a small, almost sad smile.

His words struck me faster than a bolt of lightning and it left me utterly speechless. I knew he hadn't meant to hurt me on purpose, but it still didn't stop the pain I felt. "Yeah…I guess we did..."

"I'll let you get dressed in peace. I'm sorry if I offended or annoyed you in any way. I shouldn't have pressed the subject, though you should know I was only teasing you." Although I wanted to reach out to stop him, I couldn't bring myself to do it as I watched him disappear out the door.

I sighed softly and pressed my palm to my forehead in an attempt to calm my racing nerves. That was one of the most odd conversations I had ever been involved in as it had been the first time my sexuality was ever questioned. In my entire life I had never felt any romantic feelings towards another man before...nor any woman that I could recall. Many women had thrown themselves at me before but I only saw them as annoying and desperate and never paid them any mind; Karin was a prime example of that rule. Naruto was different, though...he had always been an exception to every rule in the book.

In the beginning it was only about the subtle quirks that I couldn't help noticing from the times we'd trained together, his mindset and ability to remain so optimistic, zero hestitation to help out a friend when they were in need despite the dangers, the way his smile always lit up a room even in the darkest of times... I had been proud from the very beginning to be Naruto's comrade even if I didn't ever show it. As the years wore on that bond only continued to grow as I found more reasons to be proud to have him by my side until that had been taken away from me too, or more so I had thrown it away selfishly. Even in my absence, though, I couldn't help missing him nearly every day that passed and that separation only strengthened my feelings towards him. During that time I was able to easily push it aside and focus on my mission, but once that mission was complete I didn't have anything to occupy that space in my mind. That space had grown expansively during my down time and the longer I went without seeing him, the more I realized just how much I truly missed him.

When I finally came back to the village, there was no doubt I wasn't going to be executed and I thought I could take my feelings to the grave with me, so I didn't dwell on the fact as much. Of course nothing is ever as easy as you originally plan in this complicated thing called life. Naruto had decided to save me and the more time we spent together, the more my feelings ate away at my mind despite my best efforts to try ignoring them. He really wasn't making it easy for me and it was becoming a battle that built in intensity with each passing day. Today I almost caved and was only a centimeter away from ruining everything I had worked so hard to rebuild. The secret had been on the brink of coming to light and it scared the hell out of me. I'm not sure when I finally realized it, but I was definitely in love with Naruto Uzumaki. And I didn't know what the hell to do about it.

' _ **I won't lose him again...I can't. Something has to be done to fix this situation and I haven't a damn clue how to even begin.'**_

I finished drying off and put my clothes on in a daze. Without even drying my hair, I walked into the bedroom to see if Naruto was still there but he was nowhere in sight. A part of me was thankful for that reprieve but at the same time I was a bit crestfallen. Had I managed to hurt his feelings or was he embarrassed of the route our conversation had taken? I, for one, was more embarrassed than I'd ever felt before but he didn't need to know that.

"He probably just went back to his room to get his own clothes," I muttered, trying to reassure myself.

I decided to take a seat on the bed and wait for a while to see if he returned, but he never did. For awhile I even decided to read a book to wait but after reading the same few paragraphs over a dozen times over, I decided to snap the book shut and call it a night. It was apparent that he wasn't going to come back, so I finally laid down to try getting some rest. Only when my head hit the pillow did I realize just how exhausted I really was. As I felt myself beginning to drift off, my last thoughts were of the night's events, especially the incident that occured in the bathroom. Just as the tendrils of unconsciousness begun to tug my eyes shut, they flew open once more as something finally donned on me, a few more of the puzzle pieces clicking together. Why wasn't I able to connect the dots sooner than now?

 _ **"If that's how you feel about it, then I can't force you to change your mind."**_ Had that been Naruto's way of trying to tell me...?

' _ **Could it be possible that Naruto's...actually gay?'**_ And I had done nothing but insult him about it.

Just like that...I was wide awake.

* * *

 _ **Naruto**_

I made my way into the kitchen in a daze after getting dressed. It was already late, but I had to stay awake until Kiba and Shino arrived to take up their posts outside Sasuke's door. To keep myself awake, I decided to see if there was any dessert left in the kitchen so I could get a bit of a sugar rush to push me through the last leg of the night. As I rounded into the kitchen, though, I was startled to find Kakashi still sitting at the dining table as we had left him hours ago.

"Kakashi..." I said in surprise. "Have you not left yet?"

"I thought I would wait for you to return," he said before standing. He remained silent for a moment. "Did everything go well?" I knew he was asking about Sasuke and I couldn't help but be irked by his seemingly endless doubt.

"Everything went fine, just as I expected from him. We only talked for awhile and even had a couple of competitions. Foot races." I grinned slightly.

"Who won?" He actually sounded curious instead of condescending.

"I did, of course. Sasuke can barely stand on his own two feet little on sprinting. Although I must admit he nearly beat me somehow when we were climbing the monument."

"I noticed. An Anbu team reported to me what you were doing out there." There was a tense silence after that.

"So I was right after all. You sent that group out to spy on us." It wasn't a question and his silence only confirmed the accusation further. "Listen. I do not care that you send out teams to spy on us, but you let me know in advance before you do it. I'm actually quite hurt that you would go behind my back on such a thing."

"I apologize, but it was really a snap decision." He sighed softly and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. " After you guys left, I stood at the door to watch you leaving when I saw a group of Anbu going by. So I called them over and told them to go keep a lookout."

"You're such a liar, do you know that?" I wasn't mad, though...only disappointed.

"I know. Please don't be mad at me...I'm just trying to look out for your well being, is all. I don't trust him, yet, and although he seems good now, something tells me it's not going to last."

"You've just got to spend more time with him to find that out for yourself, Kakashi." I sighed heavily. "For someone who refused to judge a book by it's cover, you definitely didn't hesitate to come to a conclusion about Sasuke."

"Because I know what he is capable of, Naruto. He was my student and I helped to train him once upon a time. A person may be able to change, but their former self always lingers with them. It never just disappears like you make it sound."

"What is it exactly that you believe he's going to do? I would like to hear your answer." I cross my own arms over my chest and waited. Honestly I was getting fed up with everyone's doubts, but of course it was to be expected. For some reason, I had believed Kakashi would've had more faith in him, but boy was I wrong.

He stared me dead in the eye for the longest as if he was contemplating whether or not to tell me. I wasn't going to accept 'no' for an answer, though, and he seemed to realize that as he begun to speak, "I believe he is trying to lure you into a false sense of security so he can blindside you. It is uncertain if he is merely trying to get to you or use you as a stepping stone to get to the entire village, but something just isn't adding up about it." He sighed softly and shook his head. "That's not my biggest fear, though, Naruto..."

I waited a moment for him to continue but he didn't. For reasons I couldn't comprehend, I knew I wasn't going to like what he had to say. Nothing he had said in the conversation had appeased to me, but his lingering statement succeeded in sending chills down my spine. "Well? Spit it out."

He looked at the ground for a moment and muttered something unclear under his breath before looking back at me with a look of...sorrow? "I never wanted to say anything to you about this, Naruto, but...I fear that for your own well-being it must be brought to light. I believe...he very well may be after the Nine-Tails."

I could have sworn my heart stopped beating upon hearing those words. For a while I fought to breathe and couldn't say much of anything. "W-what do you mean, Kakashi?"

' _ **There is no way in hell he knows...'**_

"You know what I'm talking about, Naruto." He looked so nervous. "I know you're the Nine-Tailed Jinchuuriki."

I was on him in an instant as soon as the words were out of his mouth and I grabbed him tightly by the throat, lifting him off the ground. He didn't fight back in the slightest, but he did try prying away my iron grip from crushing his windpipe to no avail. Every cell in my body was ablaze in fury and I didn't fully comprehend what I was doing for the longest. The look of fear in Kakashi's eyes finally snapped me back to my senses and I quickly dropped him, staggering back a few steps. I could feel the Nine-Tails chakra seeping through and I knew my eyes had turned red during the sudden fit of rage. My mind was reeling at high velocities and I had to grab onto the door facing to steady myself as I remembered how to breathe, trying to will myself to calm down until I was back in control. Once my eyes had returned to normal, I slowly looked back over at Kakashi who still looked frightened. Guilt quickly replaced the anger and I was beginning to feel sick to my stomach.

"Kakashi...please...forgive me. I...I honestly didn't mean to! It was just instinct. I...felt cornered and I..." I couldn't even form a full sentence and I looked away, too ashamed to even look at him. Without warning I punched the wall, this time in anger at myself. My wrist still hadn't fully healed from the last time I punched a wall and I felt the bones giving way a bit, but they still remained intact. "If you want to leave I won't stop you."

Kakashi was silent and unmoving for the longest, not knowing how to react. From my peripheral he was still holding his throat and I was worried that I may have actually succeeded in crushing his throat, but thankfully he started speaking, though in a soft, hoarse voice. "I kind of assumed that was something along the lines of the reaction you would have when I finally worked up the nerve to tell you. I know you didn't want me to know, but the truth was entrusted to me."

"How long have you known?" I asked barely above a whisper.

"Nearly twelve years now."

My eyes widened in shock, not having expected such a large amount of time to have gone by. How he had managed to keep it in the dark from me for so long stumped the hell out of me. I slowly looked up to meet his gaze. "How did you find out?"

"Master Jiraiya told me shortly after you returned from your training with him. He was telling the story of how you lost control and attacked him in Four-Tailed mode that left the large scar on his chest. I always had my suspicions what you were, but it was confirmed on that day."

I clutched my forehead in the palm of my hands in frustration. "Why the hell didn't you tell me sooner than this?"

"He told me not to tell you, so I abided to his wishes. I felt it was necessary to finally let you know given the circumstances now. It isn't a secret that Akatsuki have been gathering the jinchuurriki for years now and they are nearing the end of their quest. There is no possible way we can rule out with certainty that Sasuke doesn't have attachments to Akatsuki anymore, and he could very well be on the mission to capture you."

"That isn't possible. I know it isn't." I clenched my hands into fists in an attempt to control my rising anger. "I know him more than anyone else does and I know for a fact that Sasuke wouldn't stoop so low as to play parlor tricks like that even if he was desperate."

"Your overwhelming confidence can be quite frustrating at times." Kakashi sighed and fell into a short bout of silence. "You do know I'm not the bad guy here, right? I'm just trying to look at this from all possible angles. I want him to succeed just as much as you do, but I can't simply rely on blind faith."

I smiled softly at him. "Trust me...I know. And I thank you for being worried about my well-being, but just tone it down a notch, okay? Let him breathe and give him the benefit of the doubt. He won't disappoint."

"I'm trying, but I've got a duty to uphold as well."

"Speaking of duty, are you still willing to train Sasuke?"

The corners of his mouth raised at the corners in a smirk from underneath his mask. "Tomorrow at ten o'clock sharp."

"I'll make sure that he'll be there."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

 _ **Naruto**_

"I've already told you that he did it under my orders and my supervision. I watched him with my own two eyes!"

"He is not in any position to be committing to such idiocy that you plant in his mind!"

This was going to be one of those days, I could already tell. I hadn't even been out of bed for ten minutes and yet I was already being scolded like a child. Why was it that the Hokage was the one always being chastised? For sure I thought it would've been a good thing to be lenient when giving orders to those under my command so they would respect me more, yet I was quickly beginning to realize that may not have been the wisest approach. Never before have I ever regretted being the nice guy, but everyone's pessimism and constant disapproval was really beginning to take it's toll. I was really considering turning to the dark side; at least it seemed easier to be feared than respected, but right now I wasn't getting either of the two treatments. My kindness only gave more room for everyone to back-talk and disapprove the decisions I made and I had, had enough of it! Kami help him for he not knows what he does, but even now Sasuke seemed to be bringing the worse out of everyone and it wasn't even his fault this time!

"You listen to me now and listen closely because I won't repeat myself again." I stood up from my chair and pointed my finger accusingly, "I-" Before I could even finish the statement, a strong hand clamped around my finger and twisted it tightly, stopping my sentence dead in it's tracks. I hissed as my arm was lifted entirely by the single digit and twisted painfully behind my back until I couldn't get out of the iron grasp any way I turned lest I cause real damage to myself. I was at their complete mercy and with one more twist they could easily break my arm.

"What were you saying..?"

Sweat beaded on my forehead and fell into my eyes that I quickly blinked away along with the tears I felt forming. "I was saying how incredibly sorry I am, Sakura-chan!" I said quickly. "Will you please let me go now?!'

Satisfied with the forced apology, Sakura released me and crossed her arms over her chest. "You do not point that finger at me again or you won't get it back next time."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Perhaps I had chosen the wrong time and wrong person to put my foot down against. Sakura had always been this way from the very beginning of our friendship and it seemed she was never going to change in that area even if she had technically just attacked the Hokage. Luckily for her, she was the only person in the world who could get away with the crime and I would happily let it slide if it prevented me from having every bone in my abdomen broken and I was able to keep my arms fully intact with the rest of my body.

I slowly walked over to the window and stared outside absentmindedly. Villagers were just now beginning to come out of their homes to begin their daily routines while the children ran through the streets and jumped over rooftops, heading towards the academy for another day of learning. The sun had barely peaked over the horizon and yet here I was arguing with Sakura at eight in the morning about what happened the previous night. Word had found Sakura during the early hours about the graffiti and a few minutes later had showed up at my doorstep to deliver the news herself. Once she found out the truth, she berated me incessantly for a good half hour by telling me how foolish I had been to allow Sasuke to have a bit of fun and freedom, and I couldn't get in a single word to defend myself or Sasuke; when I tried, I almost lost an arm by sticking it into to the cage of the raging lioness. It was quite sad, really, that every move Sasuke made was seen as a threat in everyone's eyes, even in Sakura-chan's at times. I knew I was being childish, because I knew she truly cared for Sasuke and she knew he wasn't being threatening for a little paint splattered onto a rock. She was just being cautious, was all. The villagers would cause an uproar if they discovered Sasuke had been the one to commit the act, but I didn't expect anyone else to find out the news if I could help it.

Still, though...I honestly wished someone would just have a little faith in me for once about this whole ordeal...a little faith in Sasuke. It was difficult enough that most of the village hated the idea of Sasuke's return, but I never expected to have such displeasing dispositions from my own friends. If Sasuke's rehabilitation was going to work out, then some real progress was going to have to be made and fast without people interrupting my mad plans at every turn. They couldn't keep going with these suspicions lingering over their heads every minute of the day and neither could I or I was going to flip on someone again. I had already attacked Sai about the issue and nearly two weeks after the incident, I still hadn't seen him to apologize. The previous night I had taken my rage out on Kakashi as well and nearly crushed his windpipe. If I ever lost control of my anger and hurt Sakura, then I would never be able to forgive myself if she didn't kill me first.

"I wish you could have seen him up there, Sakura-chan. You wouldn't have believed his reaction even if you'd seen it with your own two eyes. It's even hard for me to believe."

She remained silent for a moment before releasing a soft sight. "Try me." Although she looked skeptical, I knew she would change her attitude once I told her the story.

"Real progress was made with Sasuke last night." I turned around to smile at her. "For awhile it was almost like old times...better than old times, actually. We went for a walk together without any guards to accompany us and just from that fact alone, I could see some of the tension melt away from him. Just like that. And remember how we used to always compete against each other during training to see if we could outbest one another?"

She rolled her eyes, though I could see the hint of a smile threatening to show. "How could anyone forget? You guys were so annoying when you got into your competitive modes."

"We competed against each other last night and Sasuke actually got into it. Once I beat him in the first race, he even volunteered to do another one. It was...great, actually. For awhile I felt like the old Sasuke was back. I mean he actually _**laughed**_ , Sakura. Tell me, when was the last time you have heard him laugh?"

"In all honesty I didn't even know he was capable of smiling, little on eliciting sound while doing it." She smiled slightly. "And this all sounds great, but what does any of this have to do with the monument?"

"We made a bet to see who would win and the loser had to do something the winner told them to do, no exceptions. And considering he lost twice, he owed me two favors."

"So you made him desecrate the monument?" She shook her head in disbelief. "You may look grown up, but you're still a child, Naruto. The same hyperactive knucklehead that you were back at the academy."

"At least I try to be." I grinned. "It was all planned from the very beginning, even before we left the house; I had the paint and brushes in my bag and had it sitting by the door waiting for us to leave. I even had it planned to draw him into the competition and knew how to do it easily...just had to send a quick jab at his pride. Without a doubt, I knew I was going to win the contest, but the second one was merely a happy coincidence." I scratched the back of my neck sheepishly.

"What was the second favor that you asked of him? Tell me you didn't..." She fought to hide a smirk, but I could see right through it and saw the mischief brewing in that twisted mind of hers. When the fact donned on me, it made me feel as if I'd been hit in the chest and it made me stumble backwards in bewilderment.

"A-Are you crazy?!" I was blushing severely. "I can't believe you would even insinuate such...such..." I couldn't even think of the proper response I was looking for.

"You still didn't answer my question." Her smirk finally found it's way to her expression. God, she was enjoying this and I wanted to smack her for it.

"No! I would never do something like that!"

"You would never do something like what?" I nearly jumped out of my own skin when I heard Sasuke's voice directly behind me.

I slowly turned to look at Sasuke just as Kiba and Shino filed into the room after him. Sasuke looked as if he'd just rolled out of bed since he was still wearing pajamas and his hair was sticking out in all directions as if he'd went to sleep with it wet last night. I was willing to bet he just stumbled downstairs without even bothering to look himself in the mirror or he wouldn't have allowed himself to be seen with such horrendous hair. When I finally met his gaze, he was looking at me expectantly for an answer.

"Well, I..." I spared a glance in Sakura's direction to see if she would help me out, but her smile easily told me the answer, _'you got yourself into this mess, now get yourself out of it.'_ _**'Thanks for the helping hand, comrade.'**_ "I was just talking to Sakura about the paintings on the Hokage monument, and I was telling her that it wasn't me who did it this time. Would you care to tell her how it happened, Sasuke?" I rubbed the back of my neck nervously, praying that he didn't notice that I was lying.

He stared at me for a short moment before turning his attention to Sakura. "I lost the game (xDDD...nvm)."

"So I've heard. Naruto told me all about your little bet. So the art project was only one of the favors Naruto asked of you." When she smirked, I knew exactly what she intended to do and it made me blush even more. "What is the second favor?"

"We actually didn't get that far last night, so he still has one hanging over my head," Sasuke mumbled as he rubbed the back of his head tiredly, messing his hair up even more. He spared a glance in my direction and quirked an eyebrow. "By the way, what did you have in mind?" He didn't look as frustrated as I would have thought considering how easily he took offense to his hurt pride, but he didn't look unnerved in the least. In fact, I could have sworn that anticipation was etched into his features.

"Umm...I actually haven't come to a decision, yet." Without even looking I could sense that Sakura wanted to laugh at the awkward situation she'd put me in, but I wasn't going to let her win. "I think I'll actually hold on to this one for awhile, just in case. It may come in handy in the future."

"That isn't fair. There should be a rule against that or something."

"Out of the two of us, who actually upholds the law and makes the rules of an entire village? What I say is final." Unless you were a particular pink-haired kunoichi, then none of those rules applied.

He scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest as if he was pouting but remained silent for he knew he couldn't argue with that logic. A short silence fell over us, thankfully giving me a reprieve to calm my erratic nerves.

"I think there should be a ruling against that as well," Sakura added a while later, trying to add more fuel to the flames.

I glared at her. "Sakura, isn't there some place you have to be right now? Maybe saving lives or doping up some sick people?"

"I hate to admit it, but you're right." She sighed softly. "Our conversation was fun while it lasted, but I must be on my way." Sasuke moved out of the doorway as she walked over to make her exit. Before leaving, though, she turned back to look at me with a teasing smile on her face. "Be thinking about that second favor because I would like to know what it is myself."

"Have a good morning, Sakura..." I gritted out in frustration.

"The same to you, Naruto-kun. And good luck with your day, Sasuke. I think you're going to need it." Sasuke watched in silence as she disappeared around the corner. Only when the door slammed shut behind her did Sasuke turn back to me, suspicion riddled all over his face.

"What the hell was all of that about?" He motioned towards the door with his hand before crossing his arms once more.

"Don't worry about it. You know how women can be," I muttered as I turned away from him. I walked over to a bookshelf on the farthest wall from Sasuke and pretended I was looking for a certain book. In all honesty, I was just trying to put some distance between us but the fact remained that we were still in the same room and within sight of one another. I was still embarrassed and was worried Sasuke was going to notice; no matter how hard I tried I couldn't bring myself to calm down because I could only keep thinking of inappropriate thoughts of Sasuke now that Sakura had planted the seed... "Sakura is not very happy with me right now, but I couldn't really care less."

"She looked quite chipper if you ask me. A little too chipper, actually." There was a short silence. "Is there something you aren't telling me that I should know about?"

"No!" I said a little too quickly. I pinched the bridge of my nose in annoyance before finally turning back to look at him. "Look. I know that you mean no harm in asking, but there are some things that I can't tell you. I don't mean to play the 'higher rank' card on you, but-"

"Hey...calm down, Naruto. I understand more than you may realize. It's okay."

"Alright...I'm sorry." On the off-chance that this conversation may keep going, I thought it would be for all our better interests if Kiba and Shino were left outside. Without even turning to look at them, I motioned towards the door with my hand. "I'm sure you guys don't want to hear any of this, so you can go stand watch outside." Although I made it sound like I was giving them a choice, they knew deep down there was none to be taken, so without saying a word they both filed outside.

I began to look through the books once more as a bout of silence fell over us. Most of the books that lined the shelves were collections passed down from former Hokage's, most of them containing information about the history of the village, allied countries, and political sciences, but there was a small section of fiction that Kakashi had left behind during his short time serving as Hokage. Of course most of those were the porn books Pervy-sage had written. One book in particular finally caught my attention and I pulled it out to flip through the pages absentmindedly. Although I had never read it myself, I knew the contents of the pages because I had been with Pervy-sage when the 'research' was conducted for it.

"I see that you have gotten your sense of reading material from Kakashi-sensei," Sasuke said from over my shoulder, starling me. Immediately I snapped the book shut and placed it back on the shelf before daring to face him. Although I still felt the heat enveloping my cheeks, I was hoping that the little fact would go unnoticed that Sasuke's presence was the main cause of my discomfort.

"Speaking of Kakashi, you better prepare yourself because he is coming over in a couple of hours to conduct some training exercises."

"You've got to be joking. Today? Really?" Well, that was one way to avert the attention from myself...

"Yes...really."

He sighed softly. "For reasons I cannot explain, I don't have a good feeling about this."

"That is your standard reply to everything now. He will be here shortly, so I would suggest eating some breakfast and getting ready. I will not allow you to go anywhere outside these walls with your hair looking like...that." I grinned as he attempted to smooth his hair down to no avail. "Don't worry...he's not going to kill you, but be warned he's already informed me that he's not going to go easy on you."

"Wonderful." I could tell he was hesitating about something and looked away quickly so I couldn't read his emotions. "Listen, about last night..."

"Stop. I know what you're going to say and I don't want to hear it." I swallowed hard and averted my gaze as well. Once again my nervousness returned and I couldn't bring myself to look at Sasuke for the fear of giving something away.

When I had finally went to bed after having that conversation with Kakashi, I still couldn't go to sleep even if my life depended on it. The only thing that kept running through my mind was the conversation I had with Sasuke in the bathroom and despite all my efforts the thoughts wouldn't go away. How close had I been to telling him the truth? Much too close for comfort and it scared me.

If I had told him the truth, would he have confessed the same feelings towards me? For a moment I could have sworn he shared the same thoughts, because when I had fallen on top of him in the tub I was for certain he wanted to kiss me as much as I wanted to kiss him. And then I'd caught him staring at my reflection in the mirror...I thought there was no mistaking that look. But when I had asked him the question, he had denied the claims much to my dismay. It had been so crushing that I didn't even know if I could ever stare at him with a straight face again. Even now it was still difficult to look at him, but I had to bite back my insecurities so he didn't think anything was astray between us.

"Do you know that for a fact?" Sasuke asked a while later as he slowly walked towards me. My body tensed as he grew nearer and for the life of me I couldn't bring myself to speak or even twitch a muscle to back away. Only when he was standing a few feet from me did he stop, the short distance causing my brain to short circuit. Even as I saw the smirk cross his features I knew something was up, but my brain couldn't comprehend the meaning behind it. "Are you sure you don't want to hear what I have to say?" Although there was anticipation riddled in his expression, I could also see just now nervous he was as well.

I turned my head away before speaking before he could notice my own muddled nerves, "Look, I'm sorry for what I said last night, alright? It was not my intentions to offend you with my little joke, so you don't have to revive the conversation, alright? I apologize, so just drop it."

"Actually I was wanting to apologize myself. Perhaps...I was a little harsh with my response last night. It was bein an asshole and I just wanted to say that I'm sorry."

I was almost certain he could feel the heat rolling off my cheeks with his close proximity. In order to try hiding my awkwardness, I chuckled slightly and dared to turn towards Sasuke to stare him in the eye. "Why do you want to apologize to me? You should be apologizing to all the gay people in Konoha that you insulted." The intent gaze that I received made me feel even more uncomfortable, but I held my ground. I felt that if I looked away, it would only make me look guilty, as if I was hiding something.

"Just so you know...I don't care that you're gay, Naruto. It still won't change how I feel about you."

My eyes widened and I stuttered to form a coherent response, but no words would form fast enough. My cheeks felt as hot as the sun by now and I was beginning to feel a bit light-headed from all the blood rushing to my head. "W-What the hell are you talking about, teme?! I'm not gay!"

"You don't have to be so defensive about it, dobe. I will not judge you for it."

I glared at him as fiercely as I could manage. "I'm not gay!"

His brows were furrowed deeply, looking a little crestfallen and confused which confused me as well. "Are you sure?" he asked with uncertainty.

I couldn't say anything more. If I didn't get out of this room now, I was going to lose what little resolve I had left. I knew the game he was playing and there was no way I was going to let him win and give him the satisfaction of taunting me for it. Yes, some things never changed, especially when dealing with an over-confident Uchiha. The only thing that prevented me from walking out the door was Sasuke's form blocking the path and as I walked past, I shoved into his shoulder harshly, throwing him off kilter. Sasuke was quick to regain his composure, though, and before I got out of arm's reach he quickly turned around to grab hold of my forearm in a vise grip, stopping me in my tracks.

Whether it was my curiosity or sheer stupidity, something forced me to turn to stare at him once more. When I tried to pull my arm away, he only tightened his grip to keep me rooted to the spot. We both knew I could easily escape his hold, but a part of me didn't want to and Sasuke could tell, too. "What the hell is your-" I was struck completely silent when he leaned forward until there wasn't even an inch of space between us. Every muscle in my body seized up at that moment as we stared at one another, only a breath away. I was too frightened to move or even breathe for that matter because one inhale of Sasuke's scent would be my complete undoing.

"Tell me you wouldn't enjoy it as much as I would if I were to kiss you right now," Sasuke whispered teasingly, his lips ghosting over my own.

I involuntarily shuddered at his words as I continued to stare deep into Sasuke's obsidian orbs, trying to find any deception or ulterior motive in them but I could find none; perhaps that was only because my mind didn't want to find anything wrong with this moment. Slowly, my eyes traveled lower to stare at Sasuke's half-opened lips, an invitation that tantalized me further, driving me closer to the edge of losing myself. Before I realized what I was doing, I clenched my eyes tightly shut and closed the distance between us, smashing my lips firmly to Sasuke's own.

Time seized to exist when our lips met and I could have sworn I'd died just from the shock of the contact. I couldn't even bring myself to breathe for the fear of it all being an illusion and the smallest breeze would make him disappear into a cloud of dust. My brain had completely shut down, the only thought on my mind being the raven's lips molded against my own. I was more than bewildered when Sasuke actually begun to kiss me back and I quickly opened my eyes to stare at him to see what emotions were going through his mind right now. The intensity of those eyes staring back at me made me gasp in surprise, and Sasuke used it as an opportunity to delve his tongue into my mouth before tangling his fingers into my blond spikes, pushing me forward to prevent escape. After the initial surprise lifted, I started kissing with more passion and sucked on his tongue for a moment, earning me a soft moan. A half-hearted battle for dominance ensued, but Sasuke gave up the fight with surprising ease, giving in completely when I walked forward until Sasuke's back came into contact with the bookshelf behind him. A couple books toppled off the shelves in the process, but neither of us paid it any mind as they crashed onto the floor.

"Naruto..." Sasuke moaned softly around my tongue and the sound was pure bliss to my ears. Kami, how long have I waited to hear my name roll off Sasuke's tongue like this? For far too long, and I was going to enjoy every damn minute of it even if the world was coming to an end around us. If I hadn't felt all the sensations overwhelming my senses right now, I would have thought that I was dreaming, but there was no mistaking the carnal pleasure coursing through my veins. I was riding on the high of the moment and I was afraid nothing was going to be able to pull me out of my stupor. I hadn't even realized that someone else had even entered the room...

"I can come back later if this is more important."

With every ounce of willpower I could muster, I used it to shove myself away from Sasuke as hard as I could manage. The sudden action was unsuspecting to Sasuke and he didn't have time to react properly as he tripped over one of the books and smashed into the small table against the wall. He was barely able to catch himself before toppling onto the floor, knocking everything to the floor as he fell on the tabletop in an awkward sitting position. He stared at the floor for a moment as he battled to cover up his own emotions, but when he finally looked up at me I could see the obvious hurt he'd been trying to mask. A wave of guilt suddenly washed over me when I realized what I had done, but I couldn't bring myself to apologize so openly and could only set a hard glare in his direction.

"Dammit, teme," I said, glaring at Sasuke with as much vemon as I could manage. I hoped it was believable. "The next time you pull a stunt like that, make sure it's with someone who may actually give a shit." Even as I said it I knew I had gone too far and the look Sasuke gave me proved as much...he looked as if he'd been struck with my Rasengan. I wanted to take my words back, but it was already too late; the damage had already been dealt. It was probably better this way, anyways...it had to be.

"Dobe, you are the one who kissed me so don't try pulling that shit on me." Sasuke slowly pulled himself up to a standing position and dusted himself off, no doubt in an attempt to try hiding his hurt pride. Although he was glaring at me, I could tell that I had hurt him more deeply than he would ever admit.

I didn't know what to say to that statement because he was right. To try denying it in front of Sai would only make me look more guilty in the process. "I didn't expect you to actually go along with it. You were teasing me so I wanted to give you a taste of your own medicine."

"Is that so? It looked like you were quite enjoying yourself if you ask me." Before he could say anything more, I closed the distance between us and punched him as hard as I could just to wipe that smirk off his face. I actually expected there to be some type of reciprocation, but none came. Sasuke just stared at me as if nothing had even happened and that made me want to hit him again.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the room that was almost too much for me to handle. I felt as if I was going to choke on the air in the room and was almost tempted to walk out just to get away from the tension. Instead of doing, that, though, I did the next best thing, "I have business to attend to, Uchiha, so you are dismissed from wasting any more of my time for the day. Go prepare for your afternoon with Kakashi, who should be here within the hour. Do not keep him waiting or he just might reflect it back on your training."

"As you wish, _**Hokage-sama**_." His voice dripped with sarcasm and I watched from the corner of my eye as he gave a dramatic bow before exiting the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

I closed my eyes tightly to try regaining my composure but I didn't think any amount of reassessing was going to stop my thoughts from going haywire for the rest of the day. How stupid could I really be to allow myself to fall so easily into Sasuke's trap? I should have seen it coming from a mile away, but my hopes had simply been too high lately to not seize the opportunity. If there had been something real in the moment, then I hoped my actions didn't make Sasuke regress back to his old self only to deny it later on. I hoped that all reparations we'd made with each other in these few weeks hadn't been completely unraveled in this short-lived moment of weakness.

"Sai...I do not want you to speak a word about what you saw here to anyone. Are we clear?" I couldn't hide the vehemency in my voice.

"You can count on me, Naruto-kun. In fact, I wasn't even here."

"I'm being serious, Sai." I narrowed my eyes at him to try getting my point across. "This could damage my reputation as Hokage if word of this incident gets out."

"Hey, just breathe for a moment and calm down." Sai smiled slightly, but you could tell it was fake. "I didn't have to see you kissing another man to know that you were gay. I knew that from the very first moment I met you."

I was really fighting the urge to knock that smirk off Sai's face as well, but picking a fight with two people in one day couldn't be good for my reputation. "This isn't a joke, Sai."

"I know...I'm sorry." When I looked at him again, he actually looked serious for once. "I will not bring the subject up again...you have my word. This is something you must sort out for yourself and I have no right to pry in your personal matters. Just know that if you need anyone to talk to, I'm here to listen. I may not know much and may get things wrong a lot, but I can tell when a friend is in pain. That emotion, I am very knowledgeable of."

I stared at him, trying to get a read on him but it was nearly impossible. It was difficult to tell when he was being sincere about his emotions or merely getting them confused with others. For the moment I didn't feel like questioning it, though, because I already had a million questions running through my mind right now that I didn't want to know the answers to as it was. In the end, I knew they would come to light but at least I could live the next few hours in tormented oblivion.

"Thank you, Sai." I forced the smallest of smiles to my expression; at least he wasn't too keen on noticing other people's fake affections just yet, even though he had been dealing them out for many years on his own. "I will keep your offer in mind, but like you said I think I just need to deal with this one on my own."

"As you wish, Hokage-sama."

I scowled. "Stop calling me that! It's getting really annoying."

"But isn't that the title you dreamed of having since you were very young?" He quirked an eyebrow.

"Well, yeah, but...I didn't want my friends to have to be so formal with me all the time. It makes me feel as if you all are not my friends anymore and you only see me as your boss now. It's almost like you guys are afraid to be yourselves when around me."

"But you are our boss," Sai said, deadpan. "Why is it so wrong to think of you as such? Doesn't it make you happy to be reminded of the title that you worked so hard to achieve?"

"Well, of course. I just like to be reminded sometimes that I still have friends, too."

There was a short pause as Sai thought this one over, his brow pinched together in thought. "So...you are saying you wish things to return to the way they used to be?"

"In a sense, it would be nice." I sighed heavily.

"Alright. Well, if that is what you wish..." Sai sighed softly as well. "I have been hesitant to say it for awhile now since you have the authority to reprimand me for it, but considering that I've been given permission..." Just from seeing him give one of his signature fake smiles, I knew I wasn't going to like what he was about to say, "I have been wanting to remind you of your place for awhile now."

My eyes widened slightly in confusion before they narrowed once more. "Oh, yeah? What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, considering your earlier compromising position, it only goes to prove my words were incorrect from all those years ago." I still didn't understand what he was trying to say and he seemed to realize this, so continued, "When I first met you, I called you a pussy without even knowing who you really were. Perhaps that snap judgment was misplaced on my part, because you are far from dickless as far as I'm concerned. Perhaps I should have saved that judgement for when I met Sasuke Uchiha. After all, it is quite obvious who is bottom in the relationship." My cheeks burned in embarrassment once more and I took a step towards Sai to hit him, but he held his hand up to stop me mid-stride. "Just let me finish for a moment, if you will. I promise it will be worth it in the end." He paused just long enough to make sure he still had my attention and smiled when he was satisfied that he did, although deep down I was only plotting different ways that I could castrate him. "Now that I know what you really think of the Uchiha, it all makes sense, why you spent so many years trying to track him down and to bring him home. You are in love with him, aren't you?"

I gritted my teeth in rising anger and in an instant had a hold of Sai's shirt collar and pulled him towards me until he was inches from my face. "I am not in love with Sasuke. He was teasing me and I was only giving him a taste of his own medicine."

Sai simply stared at me, no trace of a smile on his face. "Who are you really trying to convince here...me or yourself?"

I scowled at him and shoved him away. "I don't have time for this." I started to walk away but Sai grabbed onto my robe's sleeve, stopping me in my tracks.

"I'm not trying to tease you, Naruto-kun. I am simply trying to help you."

 _"Help_ me? How is this even remotely helping me? I asked for a friend, not the third degree."

"You wanted a friend, and I'm being one right now. If you would just stop and let me finish what I have to say instead of only getting pissed at me, then you would learn the moral of my story."

I glared at the ground in front of me, remaining silent for a long while. Deep down, I knew that Sai was only trying to help - perhaps he had the best advice in the world in his own mind but more likely than not, he was only getting his pep talk from some book he had read and wouldn't truly understand what he was trying to say. There wasn't a possible way that Sai knew what I was going through right now, and despite the good intentions in his heart, it would most likely end up horribly twisted and wrong as it always had in the past.

"Sai..." I sighed softly, "I know that you're trying to be a good friend right now, but I think the best course of action would be to just drop this entire conversation. I do not want to think about it, and if you don't mind, I would just like to be alone right now unless you were here for something important."

Sai grew quiet for a whole minute, no doubt staring a hole through the back of my head because I could feel his gaze trained directly at me. I heart his feet shuffling towards the door and I knew I had hurt his feelings somehow.

"I apologize for upsetting you or making you angry. It really wasn't in my intentions," he said softly.

"I know, Sai...and thank you. But this is just something I must figure out on my own."

"Of course."

"Oh and Sai-"

"Don't worry, Naruto-kun. Your secret is safe with me." He opened the door but paused just before exiting. When I looked over, I could see he was deeply troubled about something and wanted to say more, but no further words were said as he walked out, shutting the door gently behind him.

I sighed heavily and ran my hand through my disheveled hair. This had been one fucked up day, and the clock hadn't even struck noon yet. So many things were rushing through my mind, I couldn't keep track of them all and couldn't focus on a single one except for the feeling of the ghostly remnant of the kiss Sasuke and I had shared. He would be back soon from his training, and I didn't know what would transpire once I saw him again. A part of me hoped that he'd simply go straight to his room to try and forget this day had ever happened like I wished to do, but I thought it was safe to say that we weren't going to forget about this anytime soon.

He had been fucking with me, I knew it deep down in my soul. And whatever his intentions had been to elicit such a response from me, he'd done so with next to no hesitation on my part, and it made me feel like a goddamned idiot. A part of me was beginning to think that this entire thing was a hoax, an act to get me into a state of comfort only to use it against me later on. Could it possibly be true? Was he only acting friendly towards me and obeying the ground rules only so he could get me right where he wanted me and take advantage of the situation only to come out on top in whatever it was that he was trying to accomplish?

 _'He's trying to use me to get what he wants...that's all he has ever done. He did it with Orochimaru, he did it with Tobi, and now he's aiming to do it to me. Now he's just trying out a new approach by getting closer to me. Maybe he's seen through my own intentions after all these years and has finally figured out a way to get me right where he wants me by giving me something that I've practically craved for.'_ His acceptance.

An involuntary tear streaked down my face at the thought. I didn't want it to believe it, but it was the only plausible explanation. Sasuke Uchiha didn't love anyone in his life, and I didn't see where I could possibly be any different. The saddest part was...

"You already had me right where you needed me just from coming back home."

 _ **Sasuke**_

I had barely gotten dressed before Kakashi came knocking on my bedroom door, surprising me nearly as much as the kiss had. Considering when we were younger, Kakashi had never bothered being on time for anything in his life little on arrive early, and that sent off an immediate red flag. That man would arrive late at his own funeral...so why was he so early today?

As I opened the door, I could barely conjure up a proper greeting as my brain had nearly shut down from the turmoil brewing within. My mind had grown tired of trying to make sense of the events in the library, so for the time being I attempted to cut off all thought on the subject. Saying you're going to do something is easier said than done, though, especially where a blonde idiot is concerned. With Kakashi's arrival, though, thankfully, it gave me something else to think about.

I couldn't bring myself to look Kakashi in the eye and settled for staring at the light's glare off his forehead protector. The prospect hadn't even crossed my mind earlier, but now a small spark of dread washed over me at the possibility that Naruto had told him what happened. Why it bothered me in the slightest, I did not know, because I was beyond the point of caring what other's thought of me at this point. I was only slightly worried that my former sensei would use this against me at the training grounds, though.

"Well?" Kakashi said; although I couldn't see his eyebrow due to the forehead protector, I could tell it was raised in question. "Are you ready to head out?"

"Yeah. Just let me grab my forehead protector." Just as I turned around, Kakashi reached out and grabbed my shoulder, stopping me dead in my tracks. I stood frozen to the spot for a moment before slowly looking towards him from the corner of my eye.

"I will not allow you to wear that headband."

' _Don't say anything, Sasuke.'_ Despite my efforts to try remaining calm, it was futile as I pulled my arm out of his grasp and turned to glare at him. "Excuse me?"

"You're not excused." Kakashi narrowed his eye. "The shinobi of this village have earned the right to wear those headbands by shedding blood, sweat, and tears protecting this village while you have shed the blood of those trying to protect it. You don't get to wear that symbol of honor now. But do not worry...I still have one that you can wear."

I watched in silence as Kakashi pulled a blue headband out of his kunai pouch and tossed it to me, which I caught with ease. When I flipped it over to look at the symbol, I froze in blinded fury. After a long, tense silence, I clutched it tightly in my palm and threw it at Kakashi as hard as I could, but it only bounced off his chest and clattered noisily onto the ground.

"I will not wear that," I said through gritted teeth.

"You _will_ wear it. After all, it is your old headband." Kakashi picked it back up and handed it over, but I refused to take it. I stared at the struck-out Leaf village symbol that was scored into the metal as if it was going to kill me.

I wanted to yell at Kakashi or at least hit him, but that wouldn't have exactly helped matters. "If I put that on, will it help convince you that I'm still the enemy?" I shook my head. "Obviously, you still do not trust me."

"I believe that is a mild understatement." Kakashi narrowed his eyes as he shoved the headband into my chest. Reluctantly, I took it from his grasp but still refused to put it on. "You do not have to wear it, but I do want you to keep it. After all, it is yours, and you have definitely earned it."

The headband was clutched so tightly in my hand, I could feel the edges biting into my skin and draw a few pricks of blood that quickly saturated into the dirty blue fabric. I gritted my teeth in rising anger but couldn't bring myself to respond for it was exactly what Kakashi was expecting: retaliation. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"Are you ready to head out or are you going to continue shooting accusations at me in the hopes that I'll slip up? I know you're trying to illicit a negative response from me, but I'm not going to fall victim of your little game. If you are, then you're going to be waiting a long time for that to happen. I have no ill intentions towards you or anyone else in this village, Kakashi, and I know that I cannot force you to realize this, but I'm not the enemy anymore. Don't make me out to be."

Kakashi stared at me through narrowed eyes, trying to dissect me with his intense gaze that I met unblinkingly. Whatever he saw in my expression was apparently satisfactory as he nodded his head, almost absentmindedly. "If you are that eager to get your ass kicked, then I will happily abide to your request."

The training grounds had been relocated since I'd last seen them and had been moved closer to the academy, but considering school was in session I wasn't allowed to be anywhere near that area. Instead, we walked around the outskirts of the village so there weren't as many prying eyes as we made our way to the old training grounds on the opposite end of the village. I have to admit, when I first caught sight of the grounds a sudden wave of nostalgia hit me full-force and for a moment I wished to be able to relive some of the memories that flooded my thoughts. Now that I was back where it all started, I could see Team Seven's first training session vividly as if it only happened yesterday; Naruto had been tied to one of the trees and was made to suffer while Sakura and I ate our victory lunches. I had given Naruto some of my food as did Sakura before Kakashi came over to berate us for it...who would have known that my simple act of mercy was the only thing that saved us from being held back from becoming genin? It almost brought a smile to my face, reliving that moment. At the time everything seemed so complicated, yet now I would give almost anything to have those simple days back.

Considering I hadn't seen the training grounds in over eight years, I could easily remember what it had looked like in its prime. Despite the pock holes marking the land from powerful taijutsu and ninjutsu techniques used over years, they had always been filled in quite regularly and the grass had always been neatly maintained. Now, craters of varying sizes scarred the earth, small mounds of dirt sitting beside some of the larger ones where the dirt had been displaced. You could see the ground on some of the larger mounds and around the base of the trees where the snow was beginning to melt as spring neared. The shrubs and bushes that had once been neatly pruned were little more than a mangled mess now as dead sprigs took on the characteristics of frizzy hair in the humidity.

My eyes scanned the treeline for the old wooden targets we had used frequently for kunai and shuriken practice. Some were still there but barely hanging from the nails as they were rotten beyond practical use; most were lying at the base of the tree and were broken into large pieces where they were beginning to rot as well. In the distance, there was what appeared to be an obstacle course or exercise area of sorts that must have been built shortly after my departure, but whatever its use had been, it was just as dilapidated as the rest of the grounds.

For reasons I couldn't explain, the sight almost made me sad. "This place has...changed."

"It has most definitely seen better days," Kakashi agreed. When I looked over at him, he was already staring at me. "Lady Tsunade always spoke of moving the training grounds closer to the academy for easier access to the students, but she never got around to it before she died." He sighed softly and looked away, "After Pain attacked the village, we all pitched in to rebuild the village and Iruka thought it would be as good a time as any to relocate the grounds just as Tsunade wanted. I must admit with the limited supplies we had on hand and the small amount of time put into it, it came out fairly nice. So good, in fact, that this section of the village was forgotten altogether."

"I see..." There was a silence that filled the space between us, an air of tension that I didn't want to disturb but it looked like Kakashi wasn't going to, either. I sighed softly. "I know that most people believe I had something to do with the attack, but I honestly hadn't a clue about it. While Pain was trying to capture Naruto, I was on a mission to capture the Eight-Tails." A short pause. "If I had known Akatsuki were attacking the village, then I would have tagged along as well. I think that was their intent, though, to distract me so I wouldn't find out and get involved in the assault. From the very beginning, they underestimated my hatred for the village back then."

Kakashi tensed so much, I thought a sudden breeze might knock him over and make him shatter like glass. "You knew that Pain was going after Naruto?"

"No...I didn't at the time it was happening, but I did know they would come after the Nine-Tails as soon as the Eight-Tails was taken care of. I just didn't think they would have made an attempt so soon considering it takes such an incredible amount of chakra to have a Tailed Demon extracted in the first place...or so I've heard."

He kept staring at me with the intensity he would give one of his enemies right before delivering the final blow. I liked to think I wasn't that low on the scale with him right now, but I was honestly beginning to think otherwise. "You make it sound like you think Naruto...is the Nine-Tails." Although he tried suppressing it, I could hear the nervousness in his voice.

I stared at Kakashi blankly for a moment before smirking. "You honestly thought that I wouldn't notice? We entered battle together more times than I can count and we fought each other even more than that. Do you believe I was truly that oblivious?"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at me as I mocked him. From the corner of my eye I caught the twitch in his hand as it moved just above his kunai pouch. Did he truly want to attack me just for having that knowledge?

"Alright...so you know that Naruto is the ninth jinchuuriki." A tense silence fell over us once more. "What do you plan on doing with that knowledge?" Kami, he really wanted an excuse to attack...but wasn't that technically why we were here to begin with?

 **' _No...he wants to kill. I can see it in his eye...'_**

"Why is it so difficult for you to believe that I am not here with ill intent? I have had ample opportunity to attack, yet I haven't. Don't you think that I would have made my move already if it was in my agenda?"

"You have worked with Akatuski before and have helped them gather the jinchuuriki in the past; I do not believe you are here simply with good intentions in your heart."

I was trying hard to keep my cool, but he was making it very difficult. "What have I done that is so wrong to place any doubt in your mind that I am only here to blaze a path of destruction?"

"That's quite simple, really. The Uchiha's are notorious of having that effect everywhere they go." All right, then. If Kakashi wanted a fight, then he had definitely earned one.

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, I flashed to him in an instant and punched him as hard as I could in the jaw. His head reeled back from the impact but was quick to right himself. Once the initial shock died away, a slow smile crossed his features and it only made me want to hit him again. "Not bad. Though still weak."

I gritted my teeth and clenched my hands into tight fists, mostly to prevent them from shaking in anger. "What is your problem? I thought you were here to train me, not insult my dead relatives. You remember who put that eye in your socket, because he was an Uchiha, too. If he knew how you were disgracing his very name right now, then he would have probably thought twice about giving it to you in the first place."

Just when I thought this would set Kakashi off, it only seemed to amuse him further to my astonishment. I stared at him, incredulous as I tried puzzling out his own tactic. There was an angle he was trying to play here, but even my Sharingan couldn't read his intentions. Had the thirty-six year-old jonin finally lost his mind?

The glint of metal whizzing through the air caught my attention and I moved my head to the side just in time as a kunai sailed past my head, missing me by a hair. I hadn't even noticed Kakashi moving but I quickly became hyper-aware of the hand being held up in the air, which held three more kunai. Despite my efforts to not look surprised, my eyes were wide as I stared at him, completely perplexed. Before I had the chance to respond, he threw the rest of the kunai simultaneously and gave me no other choice but to jump away from the situation.

"Have you lost your fucking mind, Kakashi?!" I glared at him fiercely. My instincts were screaming at me to fight back, but I held my ground firmly, even going as far as to dig my nails into the muddy ground to stop myself. If this was some sort of set-up in the making, then I wasn't going to fall into his trap only to have it hanging over my head later.

"Quite possibly." Kakashi continued to stare unblinkingly as his hand slowly reached into his kunai pouch, bringing a few shuriken with him this time. "What's wrong, Sasuke? Didn't I teach you any better than to just stare stupidly at your opponent that is trying to kill you?"

"You won't kill me."

"And I definitely didn't teach you to underestimate your opponent's intentions. With that mindset...you're already dead." Kakashi held two fingers in front of his face and in a cloud of smoke, he disappeared.

Every nerve in my body was as taut as a bowstring as I scanned the surrounding area. I couldn't sense any nearby chakra presence, but I knew Kakashi was close by...probably closer than I would have liked. My eyes were beginning to burn badly as my Sharingan begged to be activated, but I had to fight back the urge. There was little doubt in my mind that I would be surrounded by others in an instant if someone felt my chakra levels spiked.

"I am not here to play games with you, Kakashi." I finally released the tension in my balled up fists and let them hang loosely at my sides. "If you want to fight me, then fight me!"

"Very well." I felt his breath tickling the back of my neck as he tried to wrap my arms behind my back. Before he could complete the lock, I brought my arms down with all my strength to break away and flipped over his head in one fluid motion, landing directly behind him. I attempted to sweep his legs out from underneath him with my own leg, but he jumped at the last minute and round-house kicked me in the face. From my peripheral I caught another bright glint of metal and rolled away just as two shuriken stabbed the ground where I originally resided. I was tempted to pick up them up and throw them back at him but once again stopped myself short. Cursing under my breath, I jumped away from Kakashi to catch my breath.

We stared at one another in tense silence while sizing up one another. Although we had hardly been fighting for two minutes now, I was already beginning to feel winded. Even as I tried controlling my breathing, you could still see the unsteady rise and fall of my chest; Kakashi himself didn't even show the signs of just being in a skirmish.

"We're not just sparring anymore, are we Kakashi?" I asked between pants. His silent resolve was enough to answer my question and gave me enough initiative to crouch into a defensive position once more. In the end I knew that I couldn't attack Kakashi by using any jutsu that used chakra, but it didn't mean that I was going to just stand there and allow him to kill me.

My gut wrenched when he lifted up his forehead protector to reveal his Sharingan. That was the indication of just how serious this fight really was. Seeing his Sharingan being activated made my eyes burn allt he more painfully, but I still fought back the urge.

"Before you try to kill me, am I allowed to at least know why?"

Although he didn't say anything, I received my answer as Kakashi quickly begun to weave hand signs. "Fire style: fireball jutsu!" I didn't need my Sharingan to easily see through the attack as I quickly jumped behind a tree. Almost as soon as the attack started, it was lifted but when I looked back to the field where Kakashi stood, he wasn't anywhere in sight. If he wasn't on the ground, then I was fairly certain he was trying to sneak attack me from below, so I quickly jumped into the tree's canopy and waited...there wasn't much else to do.

 ** _'I could just make a run for it...I can't risk hurting him with even the weakest of justu. If others notice my retaliation, they wouldn't hesitate to try and kill me.'_**

"I'm impressed you saw through my Headhunter jutsu."

Every nerve in my body was on end from wanting to defend myself. I had never been put in a situation such as this before where under no circumstances I couldn't use my chakra. "You completely blindsided me with it in our first battle together...I'm not going to fall for the same trick twice."

"Don't worry. I've got more tricks up my sleeve." The voice came from directly below me and I looked down just in enough time to see him standing on the tree branch below me. Just as he unleashed a handful of shuriken, I quickly jumped high in the air.

"Lightning Blade!"

The voice resounded just behind me and I turned around quickly to see the attack coming, but could do nothing more than hold my arms up to take the blunt force of the hit. My eyes widened as the hit came into contact with my arms, and I could feel it biting into the right side of my chest as well. I let out a pained yelp and jumped back from Kakashi, crashing ungracefully on the ground. He really was going to kill me...he would have if I hadn't risked breaking both my arms, but I could still feel the damage it left in my chest. I coughed, sending a spray of blood with it.

 ** _'Just run...he wouldn't continue this fight in front of others, would he?'_** He definitely wouldn't do so in front of Naruto, but I knew I wouldn't make it that far before he caught up to me. And if I was going to die anyways, then I didn't want to risk Naruto seeing my death...not like this.

"I'm...I'm not going to fight you, Kakashi. Not like this." Another coughing spell hit me that was accompanied by a stream of blood coming out of my mouth and dripped down my chin. "So you're just going to have to kill me."

"I can arrange that."

Kakashi landed directly in front of me and fixed me with a hard stare, as I did the same. A long silence fell over us, the only sound filling the vast field was my feet crunching on the melting snow as I staggered to my feet. I winced from the pain in my right arm as I pushed myself up on it, which probably wasn't such a good idea. Although my right arm was severely burned and had a hole that nearly met bone, my left arm had been completely mangled from the attack and was no doubt broken. The damage in my chest and shoulder must have damaged my right lung as well, but considering I was still breathing was something.

"Before you kill me...can I give you a message to give to Naruto?" Kakashi stared at me for a moment before nodding. I sighed softly and shifted my gaze to the ground. "Just...just make sure to tell him that I haven't lied to him and I never tried to deceive him upon my return. I do not want that seed of doubt to eat away at him; he placed so much faith in me and I want him to know that it wasn't in vain. I wanted to prove to Naruto that I'm not the same as I used to be. I wanted to prove it to you and Sakura as well. I've tried making amends with him and this village, and if I can prove with my death that I had no ill intents against any of you...then I will accept my fate." Finally, I looked back up at Kakashi.

Kakashi stared at me in silence for a long while before nodding once more. "I will make sure to pass the message along." I fell to my knees as I watched in silence as he made a few hand signs. I knew what was coming next, but I held my ground, continuing to kneel in the mud while staring at Kakashi, unblinking. "Lightning Blade!" Lightning engulfed his hand once more as he ran towards me, but I didn't flinch away or try to block the attack. I knew I was about to die, and I was willing to accept my fate wholeheartedly. When he was a few feet from me, he raised his hand to deliver the final blow, but when he was only a few inches from coming into contact with my chest...he stopped.

My eyes widened in unadulterated shock as the lightning slowly dissipated in his palm and he lowered his hand to his side. Shock was an understatement for what I felt at that moment and I couldn't bring myself to move a muscle or much else speak.

"Okay." Kakashi then put his hands in his pockets and took a few steps back. I waited for a further explanation, but none came.

"Okay...? What...? What do you mean?" I couldn't form a single coherent thought or explanation as to what he could have possibly meant.

"Okay...I believe you."

I watched as he turned his back to me and begun to walk away much to my astonishment. As I begun to stand, my knees buckled beneath me and almost sent me to my knees once more. It wasn't only the injuries that were affecting me, but now that the adrenaline was beginning to dissipate it left me feeling weak. Tremors begun to rack my body from the frayed remains of my nerves and I had to clench my hands into tight fists in an attempt to make them stop shaking, but it was futile.

"So...was this just a test?" I asked softly.

Kakashi stopped walking and turned slightly to stare at me from the corner of his eye. "Yes...it was. I must admit that I'm surprised you passed so easily. To be honest, I expected some form of retaliation on your part. I didn't expect you to surrender without putting any effort into your defense, and I must admit that I'm quite impressed."

I couldn't help the rise of anger that I felt at his words and watched as he once again begun to walk away. In an instant, I was at Kakashi's side and grabbed his shirt sleeve, stopping him dead in his tracks. "'You're impressed?' That's really all you have to say?"

He slowly looked over at me and gave me a soft smile, not even attempting to pull away. "I truly apologize if I scared you, Sasuke, but I had to push you to the edge to see how you would react."

I gritted my teeth in rising anger and turned Kakashi quickly to face me to grab onto his shirt collar. "You almost killed me! You made me believe that I was lying in my deathbed just to prove a point."

Kakashi gently grabbed hold of my hand and pried it off his shirt before taking a step back. "You must understand that it had to be done. I had to gauge your response and see how much of a threat you really pose. It wasn't done solely to put my own mind at ease, but I think it had the same affect for others as well." When Kakashi looked over my shoulder and stared at something in the distance, I slowly turned as well to see about three dozen other shinobi standing just inside the treeline in the distance. Although I couldn't hear what they were saying, I could see them talking among themselves while staring directly at me. I didn't know if that was a good thing or not, but if there was truth in what Kakashi had just said, then at least they got to see my response first-hand. I hadn't tried to maim or kill Kakashi in the skirmish, so that had to be something in their eyes. "I will admit that I told a few close acquaintances to observe from a distance in case I needed back-up, but apparently word spreads almost as fast as a plague around here, at least where a certain Uchiha is concerned."

"Was Naruto involved in this?" I couldn't help but ask.

"No...he wasn't." He sighed heavily. "He's not going to be too happy when he finds out what I did, but it was a risk I was willing to take."

I fell into a short bout of silence before sighing softly myself. "Although I do not agree with your methods...I do understand why you had to do this."

"Well, I'm glad." He paused. "I know you're pissed at me right now, but I hope you can eventually look past this incident. I have a better understanding of your intentions now, but this doesn't mean that I completely trust you just yet. I will always have my eye on you...at least until you further prove your worth."

I didn't know how to respond to that, so I didn't bother to even try. "Well, as fun as it has been almost getting killed, I would like to go to the hospital now if our training session is over. I do not want to return looking like this. If Naruto doesn't know about this, then I don't really see a point in telling him."

Kakashi's eyes lit up in surprise for a brief moment. "I do not expect you to keep this a secret from him and I'm not asking you to. Besides, I don't think it's going to stay a secret for too long with all the witnesses."

I shrugged and instantly regretted it when a sharp pain shot through my chest. I gritted my teeth together in pain as I continued, "I don't intend to tell him unless he brings it up himself. I'm not going to run off and tell on you like we're kids back at the academy."

He smirked at that. "I trust that you can find your way to the hospital and not get lost on the way home?"

"You're not going to escort me?" This was definitely a change in pace.

"I have some other business I need to tend to. In other words, I trust you enough to get the medical attention you need and head straight to the house once you're done. Naruto will be waiting for your return, and I'm sure he's going to have a good interrogation lined up for you."

Somehow, I doubted that but I didn't tell Kakashi as much. In fact, I was fairly certain Naruto didn't even want to see me for what happened earlier, and I wouldn't be surprised if he purposely went out of his way to avoid me. I didn't blame him for that, because I wanted to do the same thing. What I didn't agree with, though, was the fact that he'd pushed me away the moment he kissed me. He had wanted that kiss just as much as I did and I knew it or he wouldn't have went along with it in the first place, but it did hurt that he tried pending the blame on me as if I had an ulterior motive behind the whole ordeal.

"Are you sure I won't be killed on sight for being out on my own?" I wouldn't have been surprised if this was another test conjured up by Kakashi.

"You will not be confronted...you have my word. Besides, I'm certain you're going to have plenty of spectators watching you, anyways. Be sure to stay close to the walls until you get to the main road to make less of a spectacle of yourself. Just because a handful of villagers seen our little display, it doesn't mean the rest of the village has and they will still think no better of you, so just be careful."

I didn't know if this was a good idea, but I nodded nonetheless.

"I will see you during our next training session. Until then, get well so your real training can begin." I watched as Kakashi jumped through the treeline and disappeared into the distance.

Now that I was alone, I suddenly felt vulnerable and exposed. This was the first time I had been able to walk around freely on my own, and I half-expected to be attacked by every shinobi in the village at any given moment. The villagers in the treeline were still staring at me, and I could have sworn their numbers had doubled in the last few minutes as they continued to stare. I tried pushing aside how uncomfortable I felt as I slowly made my way to the hospital, but it only escalated with each step I took. The seed of doubt had already been placed in my mind and I was fairly certain this was another one of Kakashi's tricks and was going to have a wave of Anbu attack at any moment, but surprisingly I made it to the hospital without any incident aside from a few glares sent in my direction and the occasional squad passing by, no doubt keeping track of my whereabouts and watching my every move.

When I walked into the hospital, I was greeted by a small red-headed girl whose eyes almost fell out of her skull when she caught sight of me. Fright was evident in her expression, and I almost felt guilty for making her feel that way.

"M-May I help you?" she stammered, not daring to look me in the eye.

"I was hoping that I could see Sakura Haruno? If that would be-"

"Of course," she said, quickly standing up. "If you will follow me, I will take you to her."

She didn't wait to see if I was following before hastily walking down the long hallway, no doubt trying to put as much distance between her and myself. It got rather tiresome that everyone looked at me that way, but I couldn't say that I blamed them. That fact would probably remain true until the day I died, because in the eyes of the common villager I was nothing more than a sadistic, twisted traitor who was willing to do anything just to get my way.

"If you'll sit in this room and wait, she will be right with you just as soon as I find her."

"Thank you." She gave the briefest of smiles before quickly darting out the door, shutting it behind her.

I sighed softly once I was left alone in the small doctor's office and I laid down on the gurney carefully, staring up at the ceiling. This had been one of the longest days of my existence and it wasn't nearly over yet. Once I had my wounds tended to and somehow made it back to Naruto's home without incident, I would have to confront him and try to talk about what had happened in the library. It was a conversation I dreaded having with every thread of my being, but it had to be done.

Almost as soon as my eyes closed, the door opened once more that was followed by a soft gasp. When I opened my eyes, Sakura was standing in the doorway, looking at me with wide eyes.

"Sasuke-kun, are you-"

"I'm fine, Sakura," I said quickly. I winced when I sat up on the gurney and had to clutch my chest until the pain resided. It was becoming more unbearable with each passing minute and breathing was becoming more labored. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I couldn't let Naruto see me like this."

"Don't be sorry." She was by my side in an instant and took one look at my wounds and winced almost as if she felt my pain. "Take off your shirt so I can examine the wound better."

Silently, I peeled off the ruined shirt as best I could considering I could only use one of my arms. I let out a soft gasp and clenched my eyes shut tightly as I lifted it over my head and tossed it onto the gurney beside me. After a minute passed for the pain to subside, I opened my eyes and watched as she observed the damage on my chest.

"What happened to you?" I could hear the legitimate concern in her voice as she gently placed her hand over the wound, quickly beginning the healing process. It looked far worse than I expected, as there was a hole about the size of a fist directly above my right lung but it hadn't punctured through the breastbone. There was a larger area that had been burned that extended to the other side of my chest and across my right side as well, but I could hardly feel the burns from the pain I felt in my lungs. A sigh of relief escaped before I could stop it as I felt the warmth seeping through the wound as it begun to heal from the inside-out. "Is this what happened during training?"

I didn't bother answering as I watched the wound beginning to close up. There was no point in having her worry more than she probably already was, because neither of us would have gained anything from it. And despite the fact that Kakashi had almost killed me, I wasn't so quick to snitch on him; it wasn't going to stay much of a secret for long, because gossip of someone kicking the Uchiha's ass would spread faster than a gas-fed wildfire. Once she had finished the wound on my chest, she begun to do the same to my right arm.

"I did not kill Kakashi...if that is what you are worried about." When her surprised emerald orbs met mine, I could see the fear hidden within. "In fact, I didn't even touch him. That is why I am injured now, because I refused to attack or defend myself."

Her eyes softened in relief upon hearing that, and for some reason it caused an ache in my chest that wasn't associated with the new battle scar. Even as I kept trying to tell myself that I didn't care what others thought of me, I couldn't help but care what Sakura, Kakashi, and Naruto's opinions were. Even though the team had been broken apart long ago and had lost faith in me, they were still my comrades and always would be until the day I died. I grew up with them, I had shed blood to protect them, and they had done the same for me. Those feats ran deeper than any comraderie...those were the actions of someone protecting their family. I didn't realize it until recently, but those three were the closest to a family I would ever have, and I couldn't simply give up on them even though they had given up on me. Even today, I would willingly give my life if it meant to save them...I knew that even through the darkness of my own soul. I knew, even with Naruto, they still doubted my return and I didn't think they would have so easily returned the favor, but that wasn't what mattered to me. It was a debt that I owed each one of them, and until my dying breath I would have to try fixing what I had broken. Even as I stared at Sakura now, I could see the glimmer of doubt and fear shrouding her vision, but I couldn't blame her...I couldn't blame anyone but myself for having allowed myself to fall so far from grace.

"You don't have to look at me like that," I said softly, averting my gaze.

"What are you talking about?" She stopped her healing momentarily to look up at me.

"I can see it in your eyes...you are afraid." I dared to look her in the eye to see the shock riddled there. "To be more precise...you're afraid of me."

"I am not afraid of you, you idiot." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, I stood up and closed the distance between us before grabbing onto her forearms, although gently. I knew I was being an asshole, but I had to see for myself whether or not I was just imagining things or my suspicions were well-placed. She visibly tensed at the touch and bit her lower lip to stop it from trembling...I hadn't expected anything more, and it made guilt eat at my insides.

"Just as I expected," I said, barely above a whisper. "You are afraid to be alone with me."

"I have no reason to be afraid of you, Sasuke," she said in an equally quiet voice.

"Are you sure about that? There are no guards here to stop me if I were to try and kill you right now."

By the time I saw the movement from my peripheral it was already too late as Sakura's fist came into contact with my cheek. The impact caught me by surprise and wheeled my head around, but I remained upright. Blood started seeping into my mouth once more and I licked the back tooth that she had cracked open. We both knew she was holding back, because if she'd put all her force into the hit then she would have easily snapped my neck. This was what was needed to snap me out of my daze, though I wasn't angry with her in the slightest - only thankful.

"What the hell are you trying to prove, Sasuke?"

"I don't know what came over me...I'm sorry." I sighed softly as I took a step away from her. "I...I just don't want you to feel that way around me, and I wanted to see your reaction for myself." Delivering a test of my own as Kakashi had done to me, but I shouldn't have done it to the pink-haired kunoichi. She didn't deserve it.

When I started to look away, her hand was on my cheek once again, though only gently as she forced me to look back at her. I was a little surprised to see a smile on her face and without warning, begun to heal the damage she'd inflicted.

"I'm not scared of you, Sasuke, I'm scared _for you._ I know you're in a dark place right now, but it's not the same as it was before; I can sense the shift in you just by looking into your eyes. The reason you left us was because you were hurting, and I understand that; I came to realize this the last night that I saw you before you left, and I tried desperately to help you then, but you didn't want it. You were dealing with the pain in the best way you saw fit, and you wouldn't allow anyone else to help shoulder that burden. But I'm here now, and you are willing to give your friends a chance to help you, so that's what I'm going to do.

"There is a part of me that fears I'm going to fail you when you need me the most, but I'm not the only one shouldering that burden." She didn't have to name anyone for me to know who she was talking about. We fell in silence after that as she finished healing my cheek before moving to the less-injured arm.

"I didn't ask for your help because it wasn't your burden to carry." I sighed softly. "It's still not your burden, and you have no obligations to help me now. But I'm grateful nonetheless. It's more than I ever expected."

She smiled again. "You're our family. We love you, Sasuke, and we would have done anything for you if only you had asked."

I smiled softly as well. "I know. That's why I had to leave, to make sure that you guys were safe."

We didn't speak anymore after that as she finished healing my arm. Once she was done, she left the room and came back with a few pills in a little cup and a glass of water. I didn't bother asking what they were for I knew she wouldn't have given me anything that would intentionally bring me harm. If it would help with the dull ache from my wounds, then I wouldn't question it.

"You should probably go home now before they begin to think you've ran off again. Do you have an escort?" I shook my head, but before I could answer she continued, "I will walk you home, then. My shift is over anyways."

"You don't have to do that."

"I don't have to do a lot of things, but I will anyways." She smiled as she made her way to the door, me in tow.

I didn't admit it to her, but I was thankful to have the company if only to have a distraction from the prying eyes of the villagers. As we made our way down the street, it seemed as if people purposely went out of their way this time to catch a glimpse of us. They must have already caught the gossip about what happened back at the training grounds. When I looked up to meet a few villager's gazes, they didn't shy away or turn in the other direction like they used to when I'd first arrived; they almost looked curious.

"We should do something together one day." I had been so preoccupied with my surroundings, I almost didn't hear what she said.

I looked over at her, brows furrowed. "You mean hang out like normal people?"

"Why not? I think it would do us some good. Maybe we can even invite Naruto along as well." When she grinned, I could see a glimmer of her old self that I hadn't seen in a long time. For a moment, it felt like old times aside from the fact that I wasn't being a pompous ass right now.

"Do I really have a say so in this?" I asked, though I was smiling.

She seemed to think on it before answering, "No...not really. I'll leave it up to you to tell Naruto about it. Aim for...Saturday?"

"Sounds good to me." Although I forced a smile to my face, I didn't feel the excitement that Sakura was displaying. It wasn't the fact that I didn't want to do it...it just unlocked a door in my brain that I would have rather left locked up.

There wasn't a time that I could recall where I had been involved in an ordinary social gathering, if I ever had, had one to begin with. Sure, Team Seven used to walk the streets and go out to eat after a hard day of training, but that was about as far as socializing that I'd come. It made me more depressed once I thought about it and it made me wonder how much I truly missed in these eight long years. What would life have been like if I'd just stayed in Konohagakure?

I have pondered this question plenty of times in the past and it only served the purpose of making me feel more empty inside. Everything would have been different now if I just allowed Sakura to stop me that night, and I would regret that decision for the rest of my life. Maybe Itachi would still be alive today if I'd just waited until the time arose where the truth came to light on its own, or perhaps I could have lived my entire life in ignorance so the hatred didn't completely consume me. I could have went to Itachi and had a conversation about it instead of devoting my entire life to destroy the only blood that I had left. He could have even possibly came back to the village to live among us once more. Although I didn't exterminate an entire clan, I did kill the potential sixth Hokage and countless others who stood in the way of accomplishing my goals, but if there was redemption for my own soul then I didn't see where the same couldn't have been done for Itachi.

Team Seven could have grown stronger together like it was supposed to be as well. We would still be a team, protecting each other in battle and taking on whatever the world decided to throw our way. If this had happened, then I probably wouldn't have grown as strong as I have become but that would have been okay with me. If my younger self had known the outcome of the path I'd chosen...I would have realized that none of it was worth the sacrifices I had to make in the process. There was no changing the past, so I had to make do with what the world was willing to give now. It was the best that I could do.

"I would come inside, but I have to swing by Ino's house to pick up a few things."

When I looked up, I was surprised to see that we were already standing in front of Naruto's home. It didn't seem like it had taken that long to get here, so I must have been lost in reflection longer than I thought.

"Alright. I will see you Saturday, then." As I started to walk away, Sakura grabbed the arm of my shirt to stop me. Confused, I looked over at her and curiously waited to see what she had to say.

She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment before doing something that shocked me more than Kakashi's Lightning Blade had...she hugged me. My eyes widened but softened a moment later as I slowly snaked my arms around her back, hugging her softly. We stayed in each others embrace for longer than I was comfortable with, and just when I was about to pull away I felt her body twitching underneath me. It took a moment for me to realize that she was crying, so I hugged her even tighter.

"Sakura, why are you crying?" I asked softly in her ear. I felt as if I had done something wrong, though I couldn't recall doing anything to upset her and it made me feel even more guilty.

"I just got to thinking...we were never very close before you left. The old Sasuke would have never given me the time of day, little on walk down the street and have a conversation with me without saying that I'm annoying you or that you had better places to be. You've changed so much...it's almost like you're a completely different person now. I'm not saying that it's a bad thing...we all had some growing up to do back then. And I'm not saying that I hated you either...if I did then I wouldn't have ever fell in love with you in the first place."

"Sakura..." I closed my eyes and buried my face in the locks of her hair. "I was nothing more than a cocky, naive, self-centered bastard back then who didn't know anything about the world. Although I tried acting superior towards you and Naruto...I was nothing more than a child who hadn't the damnest clue what I was doing. I know I'm still a bastard, and I'm not going to even try denying it," she chuckled through her tears, "But I want you to know something right now...I never gave you credit where it was deserved. You may not have been on the level as Naruto and myself, but you have your own skill- set that Naruto and I couldn't possibly contend with. You are an exceptional kunoichi, and we wouldn't have ever made it this far without you."

Her sobs begun to lessen upon hearing this and a few minutes later had stopped altogether. She sniffled a few times before finally releasing me, as I did the same. "Thank you, Sasuke..." She wiped the tears away with her forearm.

"You don't have to thank me. You deserve the praise for what you have accomplished. Don't ever sell yourself short or let anyone else do it to you, and do not ever take to heart what I said in the past. That life is over and there's no going back...we can only move forward from here. And I'm glad to be able to do it with you and Naruto by my side."

"We're not going anywhere..."

"And neither am I...as long as it's within my power."

When she smiled at me, I returned it with a small one of my own. "Would you like to come inside and splash some water on your face or something to calm down? I can get you a glass of water, or some tea?"

She shook her head, taking a few steps back. "I'll be fine, but thank you. I have to go now before I make a further fool of myself. Don't forget to tell Naruto about Saturday, alright?"

"I won't."

"Then on that note, I guess I'll see you then. Have a good day, Sasuke...and try not to get your ass kicked again, alright?"

I smirked slightly. "I'll keep that in mind."

She gave one last smile before turning around, heading back in the direction we had come from. I watched until she disappeared into the crowded streets before heading inside the house. Even though I'd almost been killed today, I couldn't help but feel as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders as odd as it may sound. Despite the carnage of the day, I felt for the first time that everything just might turn out alright, and that there was still hope of redemption in the eyes of the village. The realization didn't fully hit me until I'd almost made it to the door of the significance of Kakashi allowing me to walk to the hospital alone. It didn't seem like much of a feat, but it felt good being able to walk around without guards breathing down my neck every step of the way, and considering that Kakashi had given me that small amount of freedom was enough to know that I was making good progress. The villagers didn't seem to mind too much either; well, they had reacted much better than I thought they ever would. I was still walking around without a kunai in my back, so I guess that was something.

Sakura and I were on the mends as well, and as she'd said earlier I had never given her much of a chance back then for our friendship to truly grow. Now that I was back, though, she was willing to give me the opportunity that I had never given her. She was willing to look over every bad thing that I'd ever said and done to her just to rekindle a friendship that we'd never truly had to begin with. It was a step in the right direction, but I just hoped that she didn't expect anything more than my friendship. It was impossible for me to give her my heart when someone else had already stolen it from me.

Now that I was back at the house, I knew that I was going to have to confront Naruto and despite dread seeping into my every pore, I knew that I should get it over with sooner than later before I talked myself out of it. Although he had pushed me away, there was no mistaking the flame that I saw in his eyes despite his efforts to deny it. I may have been the one to instigate the kiss in the first place, but he had been the one to close the distance between us. There was no way he could deny that fact...and I was going to make him realize that his poor attempt to deny his affections wasn't going to be enough to discourage me now that I knew the truth. He could do anything that he wanted with me, even try to kill me if it would make him feel better about it, but one way or another I was going to get the words out of him if it was the last thing I did in this life.

With all the progress made today, it had boosted my confidence to near frightening levels, a confidence that I hadn't felt in a very long time. Even if Naruto tried pushing me away again, I was going to push back even more because there wasn't a doubt in my mind now that the blond idiot loved me just as well. And I was going to make him admit it aloud despite the measures I would have to take to get the answer out of him. With this newfound resolve...I made my way into the house...

* * *

Damn, has it really been almost a year and a half since I've updated this thing? My utmost apologies! I'm a horrible person, I know... :( But the next chapter is in! I haven't written in quite a while, so I know it isn't as good as it should have been. I promise there won't be such a long hiatus for the next chapter! I hope you enjoy this one nonetheless, and until next time... donadagohvi ..\/,


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